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United States Government Accountability Office:
GAO:
Report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs,
U.S. Senate:
February 2012:
Renewable Energy:
Federal Agencies Implement Hundreds of Initiatives:
GAO-12-260:
GAO Highlights:
Highlights of GAO-12-260, a report to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate.
Why GAO Did This Study:
The nation’s reliance on imported oil, rising energy costs, and fossil
fuels’ potential contribution to climate change have renewed the
federal focus on renewable energy. Many federal agencies support
renewable energy activities, raising congressional concerns about the
number and roles of agencies implementing such efforts. Currently,
there is no comprehensive inventory of federal renewable energy
initiatives, making it difficult to identify potential fragmentation
or duplication.
GAO was asked to (1) identify agencies’ renewable energy-related
initiatives and (2) examine the federal roles agencies’ initiatives
supported. GAO collected data from agencies’ budget documents,
strategic plans, websites, and through agency data requests and
interviews with officials from most of the 24 federal agencies subject
to the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990. These 24 agencies
accounted for roughly 98 percent of all federal outlays in 2009. GAO
developed an inventory of agencies’ renewable energy initiatives,
including initiatives for which renewable energy was the focus, as
well as initiatives for which it was part of a broader effort. GAO
focused on developing this inventory, and as such, did not evaluate
initiatives based on financial support or other factors.
This report contains no recommendations. In response to the draft
report, Commerce agreed with the overall findings as they relate to
the Department, while Homeland Security neither agreed nor disagreed
with GAO’s findings. The other agencies provided technical or
clarifying comments, which GAO incorporated as appropriate, or had no
comments.
What GAO Found:
Governmentwide, 23 agencies and their 130 subagencies GAO reviewed
implemented nearly 700 renewable energy initiatives in fiscal year
2010. The Departments of Defense (DOD), Agriculture (USDA), Energy
(DOE), and the Interior were collectively responsible for almost 60
percent of all initiatives.
Figure: Number of Initiatives by Agency:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
80 or more initiatives:
Agency: DOD;
Initiatives: 116.
Agency: USDA;
Initiatives: 105.
Agency: DOE;
Initiatives: 92.
Agency: Interior;
Initiatives: 82.
50 or fewer initiatives:
Agency: Commerce;
Initiatives: 45.
Agency: DOT;
Initiatives: 36.
Agency: Treasury;
Initiatives: 31.
Agency: USAID;
Initiatives: 25.
Agency: EPA;
Initiatives: 22.
Agency: State;
Initiatives: 20.
Agency: DHS;
Initiatives: 18.
Agency: Labor;
Initiatives: 16.
Agency: Justice;
Initiatives: 14.
Agency: HUD;
Initiatives: 13.
Agency: NASA;
Initiatives: 12.
Agency: GSA;
Initiatives: 9.
Agency: NSF;
Initiatives: 9.
Agency: FERC;
Initiatives: 7.
Agency: SBA;
Initiatives: 7.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Note: Data for DOD include five components—-the Air Force, Army,
Marine Corps, Navy, and other DOD components that report to the Office
of the Secretary of Defense.
[End of figure]
The initiatives supported a range of renewable energy sources, and the
most commonly supported sources were bioenergy, solar, and wind. Also,
the initiatives supported a range of public and private sector
recipients, but the large majority provided support to the private
sector. Many initiatives supported multiple renewable energy sources
and types of recipients, while many others targeted support to one
source or recipient. Agencies’ renewable energy efforts increased in
recent years as a result of the provisions of the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and other factors, but the level of
future efforts is less certain with the expiration of these provisions
and budget constraints.
Across agencies, more than 80 percent of initiatives span four key
federal roles—supporting research and development; using renewable
energy in vehicle fleets and facilities; providing incentives for
commercialization and deployment; and regulation, permitting, and
ensuring compliance. Certain agencies led efforts in each federal
role: DOE, DOD, and USDA for research and development; DOD, the
General Services Administration, and DOE for fleets and facilities;
Treasury and USDA for commercialization and deployment; and Interior
and the Environmental Protection Agency for regulation, permitting,
and compliance.
View [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-260]. To view an e-
supplement with data on all initiatives, see [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-259SP]. For more information,
contact Frank Rusco at (202) 512-3841 or ruscof@gao.gov.
[End of section]
Contents:
Letter:
Background:
Agencies Implemented Hundreds of Initiatives That Support Renewable
Energy:
Agencies' Initiatives Support Several Key Federal Roles, and Certain
Agencies Tend to Lead Efforts for These Roles:
Agency Comments and Our Evaluation:
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology:
Appendix II: Information on Federal Agencies' Renewable Energy-Related
Initiatives:
Appendix III: Agency Information on the Extent to Which the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Established, Expanded, or
Modified Initiatives:
Appendix IV: Agency Information on Expiring Initiatives:
Appendix V: Comments from the Department of Commerce:
Appendix VI: Comments from the Department of Homeland Security:
Appendix VII: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments:
Tables:
Table 1: Federal Renewable Energy Requirements for Agency Fleets and
Facilities:
Table 2: Number of Subagencies with Renewable Energy Initiatives at
Agencies with 50 or Fewer Initiatives:
Table 3: Examples of Initiatives That Support a Broad Range of or Are
Targeted to Certain Renewable Energy Sources:
Table 4: Examples of Initiatives That Support a Broad Range of or Are
Targeted to Certain Recipients:
Table 5: Agencies' Initiatives across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Table 6: Number of Each Military Service's Installations with
Renewable Energy Projects:
Table 7: Tax Expenditures That Support Renewable Energy:
Table 8: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Bioenergy across
the Four Key Federal Roles:
Table 9: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Solar Energy
across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Table 10: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Wind Energy
across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Table 11: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Geothermal
Energy across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Table 12: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Waste
Conversion across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Table 13: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Hydropower
across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Table 14: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Ocean Energy
across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Table 15: Initiatives Established, Expanded, or Modified by the
Recovery Act, by Agency:
Table 16: Expiring Initiatives:
Figures:
Figure 1: Number of Initiatives by Agency:
Figure 2: Number of Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 3: Percentage of Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 4: Percentage of Agencies' Initiatives by Key Federal Role and
Other:
Figure 5: Number of USDA Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 6: Number of Energy Sources Supported by USDA Initiatives:
Figure 7: Percentage of USDA Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 8: Percentage of USDA Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 9: Number of Commerce Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
Figure 10: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Commerce Initiatives:
Figure 11: Percentage of Commerce Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 12: Percentage of Commerce Initiatives by Federal Role and
Other:
Figure 13: Number of Air Force Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
Figure 14: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Air Force Initiatives:
Figure 15: Percentage of Air Force Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 16: Percentage of Air Force Initiatives by Federal Role and
Other:
Figure 17: Number of Army Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 18: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Army Initiatives:
Figure 19: Percentage of Army Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 20: Percentage of Army Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 21: Number of Marine Corps Initiatives Supporting Each
Renewable Energy Source:
Figure 22: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Marine Corps
Initiatives:
Figure 23: Percentage of Marine Corps Initiatives Supporting Private
or Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 24: Percentage of Marine Corps Initiatives by Federal Role and
Other:
Figure 25: Number of Navy Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 26: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Navy Initiatives:
Figure 27: Percentage of Navy Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 28: Percentage of Navy Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 29: Number of Other DOD Component Initiatives Supporting Each
Renewable Energy Source:
Figure 30: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Other DOD Component
Initiatives:
Figure 31: Percentage of Other DOD Component Initiatives Supporting
Private or Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 32: Percentage of Other DOD Component Initiatives by Federal
Role and Other:
Figure 33: Number of DOE Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 34: Number of Energy Sources Supported by DOE Initiatives:
Figure 35: Percentage of DOE Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 36: Percentage of DOE Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 37: Number of DHS Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 38: Number of Energy Sources Supported by DHS Initiatives:
Figure 39: Percentage of DHS Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 40: Percentage of DHS Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 41: Number of HUD Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 42: Number of Energy Sources Supported by HUD Initiatives:
Figure 43: Percentage of HUD Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 44: Percentage of HUD Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 45: Number of Interior Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
Figure 46: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Interior Initiatives:
Figure 47: Percentage of Interior Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 48: Percentage of Interior Initiatives by Federal Role and
Other:
Figure 49: Number of Justice Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
Figure 50: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Justice Initiatives:
Figure 51: Percentage of Justice Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 52: Percentage of Justice Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 53: Number of Labor Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
Figure 54: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Labor Initiatives:
Figure 55: Percentage of Labor Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 56: Percentage of Labor Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 57: Number of State Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
Figure 58: Number of Energy Sources Supported by State Initiatives:
Figure 59: Percentage of State Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 60: Percentage of State Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 61: Number of DOT Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 62: Number of Energy Sources Supported by DOT Initiatives:
Figure 63: Percentage of DOT Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 64: Percentage of DOT Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 65: Number of Treasury Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
Figure 66: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Treasury Initiatives:
Figure 67: Percentage of Treasury Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 68: Percentage of Treasury Initiatives by Federal Role and
Other:
Figure 69: Number of EPA Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 70: Number of Energy Sources Supported by EPA Initiatives:
Figure 71: Percentage of EPA Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 72: Percentage of EPA Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 73: Number of FERC Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 74: Number of Energy Sources Supported by FERC Initiatives:
Figure 75: Percentage of FERC Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 76: Percentage of FERC Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 77: Number of GSA Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 78: Number of Energy Sources Supported by GSA Initiatives:
Figure 79: Percentage of GSA Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 80: Percentage of GSA Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 81: Number of NASA Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 82: Number of Energy Sources Supported by NASA Initiatives:
Figure 83: Percentage of NASA Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 84: Percentage of NASA Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 85: Number of NSF Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 86: Number of Energy Sources Supported by NSF Initiatives:
Figure 87: Percentage of NSF Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 88: Percentage of NSF Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 89: Number of SBA Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
Figure 90: Number of Energy Sources Supported by SBA Initiatives:
Figure 91: Percentage of SBA Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 92: Percentage of SBA Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Figure 93: Number of USAID Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
Figure 94: Number of Energy Sources Supported by USAID Initiatives:
Figure 95: Percentage of USAID Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
Figure 96: Percentage of USAID Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
Abbreviations:
ARPA-E: Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy:
ARS: Agricultural Research Service:
BOEMRE: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement:
CFO Act: Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990:
Commerce: Department of Commerce:
DHS: Department of Homeland Security:
DOD: Department of Defense:
DOE: Department of Energy:
DOT: Department of Transportation:
EERE: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy:
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency:
EPAct 2005: Energy Policy Act of 2005:
FEMP: Federal Energy Management Program:
FERC: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission:
GREENS: Ground Renewable Expeditionary ENergy System:
GSA: General Services Administration:
HUD: Department of Housing and Urban Development:
Interior: Department of the Interior:
IRS: Internal Revenue Service:
Justice: Department of Justice:
Labor: Department of Labor:
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration:
NIFA: National Institute of Food and Agriculture:
NSF: National Science Foundation:
OE: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability:
Recovery Act: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:
SBA: Small Business Administration:
State: Department of State:
Treasury: Department of the Treasury:
USAID: U.S. Agency for International Development:
USDA: U.S. Department of Agriculture:
View GAO-12-260 Key Component:
Renewable Energy: An Inventory of Fiscal Year 2010 Federal Initiatives
(GAO-12-259SP), an E-supplement to GAO-12-260.
[End of section]
United States Government Accountability Office:
Washington, DC 20548:
February 27, 2012:
[End of section]
The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman:
Chairman:
The Honorable Susan M. Collins:
Ranking Member:
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs:
United States Senate:
Americans' daily lives, as well as the economic productivity of the
United States, depend on the availability of energy, particularly from
fossil fuels. However, concerns over the nation's reliance on imported
oil, rising energy costs, and fossil fuels' potential contribution to
global climate change have renewed the focus on developing renewable
energy resources and technologies to meet future energy needs.
[Footnote 1] According to the Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy
Information Administration, domestic renewable energy use grew by 21
percent from 2006 to 2010 and accounted for about 8 percent of U.S.
energy consumption in 2010.[Footnote 2] During the same period,
nuclear energy use increased by about 3 percent, and the use of fossil
fuels decreased by about 4 percent largely as a result of the recent
economic downturn. Over the coming decades, the Energy Information
Administration projects that the strongest growth in the domestic
energy sector will be in the use of renewable energy to generate
electricity and produce liquid fuels for transportation.
Congress and some federal agencies have emphasized the importance of
renewable energy as a means to address issues of national concern and
have committed substantial federal resources to initiatives in this
area.[Footnote 3] For instance, DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (EERE) received about $630 million in its fiscal year
2010 appropriation for research related to bioenergy, geothermal,
solar, water, and wind energy--an increase of about 43 percent from
the fiscal year 2008 level of about $440 million.[Footnote 4] EERE
received an additional $1.4 billion from the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) for renewable energy-related
efforts.[Footnote 5] The federal government also creates incentives
for investment in certain types of renewable energy-related projects
and for the production and consumption of renewable energy by, for
example, providing favorable tax treatment, such as tax credits, to
businesses and individuals. These tax preferences--which are referred
to as tax expenditures and are administered by the Department of the
Treasury's Internal Revenue Service (IRS)--result in forgone revenue
for the federal government.[Footnote 6] Revenue losses associated with
renewable energy-related tax expenditures were estimated to be almost
$8.9 billion for fiscal year 2010, according to estimates from the
President's 2012 budget.[Footnote 7] The Recovery Act and other recent
legislation established, extended, or changed the scope of a number of
these tax expenditures.
The federal government is also uniquely positioned to affect the
development of renewable energy resources through its land management
and regulatory activities and as a consumer of energy. For example,
the Department of the Interior (Interior) manages approximately 500
million acres, or one-fifth, of the nation's land and 1.7 billion
acres off its shores. Interior has recently emphasized development of
renewable resources in these areas by, for example, implementing
measures to streamline the regulatory processes associated with
constructing solar energy projects on some of these lands. The federal
government is also the single largest user of energy in the United
States, and a number of recent federal laws and executive orders have
established requirements and direction for federal agencies to (1)
reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and increase
renewable energy use at their facilities, and (2) to reduce petroleum
consumption and increase the use of alternative fuels in their vehicle
fleets.[Footnote 8]
The wide range of federal activities related to renewable energy and
the recent increase in these efforts have raised congressional
concerns about the number of agencies implementing such activities, as
well as the roles of agencies responsible for regulating and providing
funding to various segments of the renewable energy industry. However,
there is currently no comprehensive inventory of which federal
agencies are implementing renewable energy-related initiatives and the
types of initiatives they are implementing. In light of efforts to
balance the federal budget and target spending on activities that will
most effectively meet national needs, the lack of available
information on agencies' renewable energy initiatives has further
raised congressional concerns about the ability to identify whether
efforts are fragmented, duplicative, or operating at cross-purposes.
Due to these concerns, you asked us to provide information on federal
renewable energy initiatives. Our objectives for this report are to
(1) identify federal agencies' renewable energy-related initiatives
governmentwide, and (2) examine the federal roles these agencies'
initiatives support. Appendix II and GAO-12-259SP provide more
detailed information on individual agencies' initiatives.[Footnote 9]
In addition, we provide information on the extent to which the
Recovery Act established, expanded, or modified agencies' renewable
energy-related initiatives, and identify those initiatives, such as
certain tax expenditures that supported ethanol or other biofuels, for
which authority has recently or will soon expire without congressional
action. This information is provided in appendixes III and IV,
respectively.
To identify federal agencies' renewable energy-related initiatives, we
collected information on initiatives that were funded, planned,
implemented, or authorized in fiscal year 2010 by reviewing agencies'
budget documents and other key information sources, such as strategic
plans and websites. From this effort, we developed data on agencies'
initiatives that were related to renewable energy through a specific
emphasis or focus, even if renewable energy was part of a broader
effort.[Footnote 10] We defined an initiative as a program or group of
activities serving a similar purpose or function, and the initiatives
we identified included agency spending programs as well as tax
expenditures. In some instances, these initiatives corresponded to
distinct agency programs or initiatives. In other cases, we identified
and grouped similar activities into initiatives based on our own
judgment when there did not already appear to be a formal name for the
initiative, or disaggregated higher-level activities that included
multiple initiatives.[Footnote 11] We focused on agencies subject to
the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 (CFO Act) with renewable
energy-related activities that went beyond standard governmentwide
efforts to incorporate renewable energy into their vehicle fleets and
facilities in response to requirements and direction established by
federal laws and executive orders.[Footnote 12] These agencies were:
the departments of Agriculture (USDA), Commerce, Defense (DOD),
Energy, Homeland Security (DHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD),
the Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation (DOT), and the
Treasury; as well as the following independent agencies: the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), General Services Administration
(GSA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National
Science Foundation (NSF), Small Business Administration (SBA), and
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Of these 18 CFO Act
agencies, we collected data on DOD activities separately for the Air
Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and other DOD components that report
to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In addition, we collected
data for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) separately
from DOE.[Footnote 13] As a result, we provide data on 23 agencies
rather than 18.
We submitted a structured data request to agencies to provide
information on each of their renewable energy initiatives, including
the responsible agency component(s); a description of its purpose, how
it is implemented, and how it relates to renewable energy; the
applicable renewable energy sources; the recipients of funding,
services, or other types of support; the extent to which it was
established, expanded, or modified by the Recovery Act; and whether
the legislative authority for the initiative has expired or may
expire. We then conducted interviews with agency officials responsible
for providing the data to collect additional information and assess
the accuracy, reliability, and completeness of the data provided. We
determined the data to be sufficiently reliable for the purposes of
this report. We then analyzed the data we collected to develop
descriptive information across the agencies' renewable energy-related
initiatives. We recognize that measures other than the number of
initiatives implemented, such as the level of financial support
provided, are also important to understanding renewable energy efforts
governmentwide. An agency may have many initiatives, but the total
financial support provided for these initiatives could be
substantially less than the financial support provided by an agency
with fewer initiatives. We did not review agencies' renewable energy-
related initiatives on the basis of the level of financial support
agencies provide for their renewable energy efforts because, for
example, officials stated that financial support for renewable energy
is often not tracked separately from other activities. Therefore, we
could not collect reliable renewable energy-specific funding data or
revenue loss estimates across the full inventory of initiatives we
identified.
To examine the federal roles agencies' renewable energy initiatives
support, we analyzed the initiative data we collected to identify the
federal roles of the initiatives each agency implemented.
Specifically, we categorized agencies' initiatives on the basis of
four key federal roles, including (1) research and development; (2)
commercialization and deployment; (3) regulation, permitting, and
compliance; and (4) fleets and facilities.[Footnote 14] In some
instances, we found that agencies' initiatives did not fit into any of
these four roles, and in such instances, we included these initiatives
in an "other" category. Appendix I provides a more detailed
description of our scope and methodology.
We conducted this performance audit from April 2010 through February
2012 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit
to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable
basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for
our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
Background:
EERE defines renewable energy as "energy derived from resources that
are regenerative or for all practical purposes can not be depleted."
For purposes of our work, we defined renewable energy sources as
follows:
* Bioenergy. Energy produced from biological fuel sources in liquid,
solid, or gaseous form, not including energy produced from animal,
household, or business waste.[Footnote 15]
* Geothermal energy. Energy produced by the internal heat of the earth.
* Hydroelectric energy. Energy produced by the force of moving water,
excluding ocean environments.
* Ocean energy. Energy produced by tides, waves, currents and ocean
thermal gradients.
* Solar energy. Energy transmitted from the sun.
* Waste conversion. Energy generated from waste material from animals,
households and businesses, including anaerobic digestion of
agricultural or other waste, landfill gas, and municipal solid waste.
* Wind energy. Energy produced by the movement of air.
Federal agencies implement many renewable energy-related initiatives
in response to several key pieces of legislation and federal
requirements. For example, USDA received specific direction and
authority to implement a number of renewable energy initiatives under
the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, and the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, commonly known as the 2002 and
2008 Farm Bills. Similarly, DOT received authority to implement a
number of renewable energy initiatives under the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users,
passed in August 2005. The Recovery Act also initiated, expanded, or
modified a broad range of renewable energy activities across the
government. In addition, several laws and executive orders established
requirements or provided direction to federal agencies to incorporate
renewable energy into the operation of their vehicle fleets and
facilities, as shown in table 1.
Table 1: Federal Renewable Energy Requirements for Agency Fleets and
Facilities:
Statute or executive order: Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Oct. 24, 1992);
Renewable energy requirement: Fleet. Generally requires that agencies
acquire alternative fuel vehicles for 75 percent of new light-duty
acquisitions by fleets of 20 or more vehicles that are capable of
being centrally fueled in metropolitan statistical areas with
populations of 250,000 or more.[A]
Statute or executive order: Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005)
(Aug. 8, 2005);
Renewable energy requirement: Facilities. Generally requires that, to
the extent economically feasible and technologically practicable,
agencies' renewable electricity consumption meet or exceed 3 percent
of total consumption in fiscal years 2007 through 2009, 5 percent in
fiscal years 2010 through 2012, and 7.5 percent in fiscal year 2013
and thereafter. It also provides additional credit toward these goals
for agencies with renewable electricity produced on-site. Finally, it
requires the installation of 20,000 solar energy systems in federal
buildings by 2010.
Statute or executive order: Executive Order 13423 (Jan. 24, 2007);
Renewable energy requirement: Facilities. Requires that at least half
of all renewable energy required under EPAct 2005 comes from renewable
sources placed in service after January 1, 1999. It also requires
agencies to the extent feasible to implement renewable energy
generation projects on agency property for agency use.
Statute or executive order: Energy Independence and Security Act of
2007 (Dec. 19, 2007);
Renewable energy requirement: Fleet. Generally requires agencies to
increase annual alternative fuel consumption by 10 percent by 2015
from a 2005 baseline, and install at least one renewable fuel pump at
each federal fuel center by 2010.
Statute or executive order: Executive Order 13514 (Oct. 5, 2009);
Renewable energy requirement: Fleet and facilities. Requires agencies
to develop Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans to achieve a
fiscal year 2020 percentage reduction target of agencywide greenhouse
gas emissions, and consider reductions associated with increasing
agency renewable energy use and on-site projects, among other things.
Source: GAO analysis.
[A] Under the Energy Policy Act of 1992, as amended, alternative fuel
vehicles include any dedicated, dual-fuel vehicle designed to operate
on at least one alternative fuel. In 2008, the act was amended to
include hybrid vehicles that use both gasoline and stored energy in a
battery to power the vehicle. Alternative fuels under DOE regulations
include: methanol, ethanol, and other alcohols; blends of 85 percent
or more of alcohol with gasoline; natural gas; liquefied petroleum gas
(propane); coal-derived liquid fuels; hydrogen; electricity;
biodiesel; and p-series fuels. 10 C.F.R. § 490.2.
[End of table]
Federal agencies use several methods of financing renewable energy
projects on their property to help meet the requirements of these laws
and executive orders.[Footnote 16] In addition to funding the full
cost of projects using direct appropriations, agencies may use a
number of alternative financing arrangements, whereby financing for
the projects comes from parties outside of the federal government,
such as private energy services companies. Alternative financing can
be provided through various mechanisms, including energy savings
performance contracts, through which agencies contract with energy
services companies to finance and install renewable energy systems,
and agencies repay the companies over time; power purchase agreements,
through which a developer installs a renewable energy system on agency
property under an agreement that the agency will purchase the power
generated by the system; or some other financing agreement whereby an
outside party provides funding for the project.
There have been several recent estimates of the level of federal
financial support for renewable energy:
* The Energy Information Administration estimated total federal
subsidies for renewable sources in fiscal year 2010 to be
approximately $14.7 billion, including $8.2 billion in tax
expenditures. This amount represented a substantial increase from its
estimate for fiscal year 2007 of $5.1 billion going to renewable
sources. Much of this increase was due to the Recovery Act, which
provided an estimated $6.2 billion of the $14.7 billion in fiscal year
2010 subsidies.[Footnote 17]
* The Congressional Research Service estimated fiscal year 2010
federal revenue losses and outlays associated with renewable energy-
related tax provisions to be approximately $13 billion, including
Recovery Act funding of approximately $4.2 billion for Treasury
payments for energy projects, primarily renewable energy projects.
[Footnote 18]
* The Environmental Law Institute estimated total federal subsidies
for renewable sources over the 7-year period from fiscal years 2002
through 2008 to be approximately $29 billion.[Footnote 19]
Several factors limit these estimates of federal financial support for
renewable energy. For instance, many federal programs or tax
expenditures support a wide range of renewable and conventional energy
sources, as well as businesses or activities outside of the energy
sector. These estimates use varying criteria to determine which
programs or tax expenditures to include, and for those they do
include, the analyses often do not isolate the financial support for
renewable energy provided by programs or tax expenditures that may
support a broader range of activities or energy sources. In addition,
none of these estimates include the level of financial support
provided to the renewable energy industry through federal efforts to
incorporate renewable energy in agency vehicle fleets and facilities.
These estimates also do not account for the costs to the federal
government of implementing regulatory efforts related to renewable
energy. Furthermore, these estimates do not include all federal
agencies with programs that support renewable energy, and for those
they do include, they do not always provide a full list of which
programs are included.
Federal and state agencies, as well as public and private utilities,
implement initiatives beyond those included in our review. First, at
the federal level, agencies outside the scope of our review--agencies
not subject to the CFO Act--implement renewable energy-related
initiatives. For example, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
partners with the private sector to invest in renewable energy and
other markets in foreign countries, and the Export-Import Bank of the
United States finances the foreign purchase of domestically-produced
goods, including renewable energy technologies. In addition, the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange
Commission implement regulatory efforts involving markets for
renewable energy certificates and commodities. Second, at the state
level, the 50 states and the District of Columbia implement
initiatives, including tax incentives, rebates, grants, and loans to
individuals, businesses, or local governments for a wide range of
renewable energy projects. Third, public and private utilities offer
incentives to promote the installation and use of renewable energy
systems by their customers, including rebates, loans, and performance-
based incentives--payments based on the amount of energy generated by
a renewable energy system.
Agencies Implemented Hundreds of Initiatives That Support Renewable
Energy:
Across the federal government, we identified almost 700 renewable
energy-related initiatives for fiscal year 2010 at the agencies and
subagencies we examined. We found that initiatives in this inventory
supported all of the renewable energy sources in our analysis, with
initiatives most commonly supporting bioenergy, solar, and wind. In
addition, we found that agencies' initiatives supported a range of
recipients in both the public and private sectors, with the majority
of initiatives supporting private sector recipients. Given a variety
of factors, such as recent legislation and future budget uncertainty,
agencies' fiscal year 2010 renewable energy efforts represent an
increased level of activity from prior years, but future activity
levels are less certain.
Federal Agencies Implemented Almost 700 Initiatives in Fiscal Year
2010:
Governmentwide, we identified 679 renewable energy-related initiatives
for fiscal year 2010 at the 23 agencies we examined and their 130
subagencies.[Footnote 20] These agencies fell into two groups based on
the number of initiatives they implemented: agencies responsible for
more than 80 initiatives each and agencies that had 50 or fewer
initiatives. Figure 1 shows the number of initiatives by agency.
Figure 1: Number of Initiatives by Agency:
[Refer to PDF for image]
Note: The figure includes 5 initiatives for which we did not receive
responses from the following agencies to determine whether or not they
should be considered renewable energy-related initiatives: the Air
Force (1), NASA (3), and the Navy (1). We kept these initiatives for
purposes of inclusiveness.
[A] The figure shows data for 19 agencies; however, the DOD data
include the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and other DOD
components. The total number of initiatives across these DOD
components was 116.
[End of figure]
Agencies with more than 80 initiatives--DOD, USDA, DOE, and Interior--
were collectively responsible for almost 60 percent of all initiatives.
* DOD. DOD's components collectively accounted for 116 of the
initiatives we identified. At DOD, we found renewable energy
initiatives at the Army (30), Air Force (17), Navy (16), and Marine
Corps (12). Within each of these services, the renewable energy
initiatives we identified were dispersed across a number of civilian
and military elements of the chain of command. At the Army, for
example, responsibility for energy management activities at its
facilities is shared by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the
Army for Installations, Energy and Environment (civilian) and the
Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management
(military). Other components of the Army share responsibility for a
number of research efforts to develop technologies for the Army's use,
some of which include renewable energy. Other Army renewable energy
initiatives are led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is the
largest hydropower producer in the United States. In addition to the
military services, we identified 41 initiatives across a number of
components that report to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, such
as the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition,
Technology and Logistics' Office of the Assistant Secretary,
Operational Energy Plans and Programs; the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency; and the Defense Logistics Agency.
* USDA. USDA accounted for 105 initiatives across 17 subagencies.
These subagencies span six of USDA's seven Under Secretaries as well
as other elements of USDA. Specifically, we identified renewable
energy initiatives at subagencies within the Under Secretaries'
mission areas for Research, Education, and Economics (47); Natural
Resources and Environment (24); Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services
(9); Rural Development (9); Marketing and Regulatory Programs (6); and
Food Safety (1). In addition, we identified 10 initiatives implemented
by the Office of the Secretary, the Office of the Chief Economist, or
Departmental Management.[Footnote 21]
* DOE. DOE accounted for 92 initiatives across a number of program
offices and other subagencies. The program offices included EERE (47);
the Office of Science (12); the Office of Electricity Delivery and
Energy Reliability (OE) (5); the Advanced Research Projects Agency-
Energy (ARPA-E) (4); and the Loan Programs Office (2). Other DOE
subagencies at which we identified renewable energy initiatives
included the Power Marketing Administrations (8), the Office of Policy
and International Affairs (4), and the Energy Information
Administration (1).[Footnote 22] We also identified 9 initiatives for
which multiple DOE subagencies were responsible.
* Interior. Interior accounted for 82 initiatives, which spanned 8
subagencies across all of Interior's main Assistant Secretaries'
offices. These included renewable energy initiatives at subagencies
under the Assistant Secretaries for Water and Science (28); Land and
Minerals Management (26); Fish, Wildlife and Parks (13); Indian
Affairs (12); and Insular Affairs (2). We also found that the Office
of the Secretary and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy,
Management and Budget, together, had 3 initiatives.[Footnote 23]
Within the 15 agencies that had 50 or fewer initiatives, we also found
that a number of subagencies within each agency were responsible for
renewable energy initiatives. We found that the number of these
subagencies with renewable energy initiatives ranged from 9 at
Commerce and DOT to 3 at GSA and NSF. Table 2 shows the range of the
number of subagencies with renewable energy initiatives at agencies
with 50 or fewer initiatives.
Table 2: Number of Subagencies with Renewable Energy Initiatives at
Agencies with 50 or Fewer Initiatives:
Agency: Commerce;
Number of subagencies: 9.
Agency: DOT;
Number of subagencies: 9.
Agency: Treasury;
Number of subagencies: 7.
Agency: Justice;
Number of subagencies: 6.
Agency: Labor;
Number of subagencies: 6.
Agency: DHS;
Number of subagencies: 5.
Agency: FERC;
Number of subagencies: 5.
Agency: HUD;
Number of subagencies: 5.
Agency: NASA;
Number of subagencies: 5.
Agency: USAID;
Number of subagencies: 5.
Agency: EPA;
Number of subagencies: 4.
Agency: SBA;
Number of subagencies: 4.
Agency: State;
Number of subagencies: 4.
Agency: GSA;
Number of subagencies: 3.
Agency: NSF;
Number of subagencies: 3.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Note: As noted previously, the federal agencies within the scope of
this report are organized along a range of different structures that
include formal subagencies, bureaus, services, divisions, and offices,
among other types of structures. For ease of reporting, we generally
refer to all of these organizational elements as subagencies.
[End of table]
The number of initiatives that agencies implemented, and the range of
their subagencies involved provide some indication of their support
for renewable energy overall, but certain agencies with relatively
fewer initiatives than others have initiatives that may have a
relatively greater impact on the renewable energy sector.[Footnote 24]
For example, Treasury, with 31 initiatives, was not among the 4
agencies with the largest number of initiatives. However, some of its
initiatives, such as the renewable energy-related tax expenditures
administered by IRS, potentially apply to a wide range of taxpayers
eligible to take advantage of the relevant portions of the tax code.
As a result, these tax expenditures may provide a greater level of
support for renewable energy development than is provided by other
types of agency programs, such as grant programs, where the level of
support is tied to the level of funding provided through the program.
[Footnote 25] In addition, EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard program,
mandated by the Clean Air Act, as amended, generally requires the
volume of biofuels used in the transportation sector in the 48
contiguous states to increase through 2022 to an annual total of 36
billion gallons.[Footnote 26] This requirement applies to all
producers and importers of gasoline and diesel and any party that
produces, transports, stores, or blends the renewable fuel. As such,
its impact is felt by a wide range of businesses across the United
States.
Initiatives Most Commonly Supported Bioenergy, Solar, and Wind:
Among the hundreds of initiatives we identified across federal
agencies, we found that initiatives supported all of the renewable
energy sources in our analysis, including bioenergy, waste conversion,
geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar, and wind. However, bioenergy,
solar, and wind were the most commonly supported energy sources across
the inventory. Figure 2 shows the number of initiatives that support
each energy source, which sums to more than 679--the number of
initiatives in the inventory--because about half of the initiatives
supported multiple energy sources.[Footnote 27]
Figure 2: Number of Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 398.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 345.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 296.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 211.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 180.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 177.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 123.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Notes: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
in this figure adds to more than the total number of initiatives in
our inventory because initiatives often supported multiple energy
sources. Also this figure does not include data for 29 initiatives for
which we could not determine the applicable renewable energy sources
based on the responses received from the following agencies: the Air
Force (1), the Army (1), DOE (15), HUD (4), NASA (3), the Navy (2),
the other DOD components that report to the Office of the Secretary of
Defense (1), State (1), and USDA (1).
[End of figure]
Across the three renewable energy sources most commonly supported by
the renewable energy initiatives identified, we found that (1) certain
subcategories of these sources were more commonly supported than
others, and (2) certain agencies--USDA, DOD, and Interior--led federal
support for these energy sources based on their relative number of
initiatives.[Footnote 28] Specifically:
* Bioenergy. Nearly 60 percent of the renewable energy initiatives we
identified supported some type of bioenergy as an energy source,
including liquid biofuel, solid biomass fuel, or other types of
bioenergy. We found that most of the initiatives that supported
bioenergy supported liquid biofuel. Of the agencies in our review,
USDA had the largest number of initiatives that supported bioenergy--
accounting for more than 20 percent of the initiatives that supported
bioenergy. USDA's initiatives supported bioenergy in a variety of
ways, such as efforts to: (1) develop new types of bioenergy crops,
including biofuel or biomass crops or improve processes for producing
bioenergy from these crops; (2) expand the planting and harvesting of
bioenergy crops and biofuel refining capacity; (3) provide information
about biofuel production and market trends; and (4) support the U.S.
biofuel industry in the international arena.
* Solar. Approximately half of the renewable energy initiatives
supported solar energy, including technologies such as photovoltaics,
concentrating solar power, and solar hot water.[Footnote 29] We found
that the large majority of the initiatives that supported solar energy
supported photovoltaic technologies. Of the agencies in our review,
the military services and other components of DOD had the largest
number of initiatives that supported solar energy--accounting for more
than 20 percent of the initiatives that supported solar energy. DOD's
initiatives supported solar energy in various ways and included a
number of efforts to incorporate renewable energy at its
installations, as well as to develop technologies that allow it to use
solar energy in operational environments, such as the conflicts in
Iraq and Afghanistan, to help reduce its reliance on conventional fuel.
* Wind. More than 40 percent of the renewable energy initiatives
supported wind energy, including land-based and off-shore wind energy.
We found that the large majority of these initiatives supported land-
based wind energy. While there are currently no off-shore commercial
scale wind energy projects operating in the United States, some
agencies' initiatives focused on developing the technologies and
regulatory framework for off-shore wind energy projects. Of the
agencies in our review, Interior had the greatest number of
initiatives that supported wind energy--accounting for about 15
percent of the initiatives that supported wind energy. Among other
efforts, Interior's wind energy initiatives involved examining the
impacts of development, authorizing and permitting wind development on
public lands and off-shore areas, and ensuring that projects comply
with applicable laws and regulations.
Overall, the initiatives we identified were fairly evenly split
between those that supported one energy source and those that
supported multiple sources. Initiatives in the inventory targeted
certain energy sources or provided support to a broader set of sources
in a variety of ways. Table 3 provides examples of those initiatives
that supported multiple energy sources and those that were targeted to
one source.
Table 3: Examples of Initiatives That Support a Broad Range of or Are
Targeted to Certain Renewable Energy Sources:
Initiatives that support a broad range of renewable energy sources:
Name of initiative (agency): Rural Energy for America Program (USDA);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of renewable
energy sources: USDA provides guaranteed loans and grants to farmers,
ranchers, and small businesses in rural areas to assist with
purchasing and installing renewable energy equipment that could
involve all of the energy sources included in our analysis.
Name of initiative (agency): Credit for Residential Energy Efficient
Property (Treasury);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of renewable
energy sources: IRS administers this tax expenditure that provides a
credit to homeowners of up to 30 percent of the costs of eligible
energy equipment. This credit is focused on several renewable energy
sources common to residential properties, such as geothermal, solar,
and wind.
Name of initiative (agency): Green Jobs Innovation Fund (Labor);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of renewable
energy sources: Labor provides competitive grants to help workers
receive job training in "green" industry sectors and occupations,
including the renewable energy sector, to ensure that workers have the
necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities to succeed in high growth
and emerging industries.
Name of initiative (agency): Certified Development Company/Section 504
Loans (SBA);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of renewable
energy sources: SBA provides loan guarantees to small businesses
investing in renewable energy sources or equipment.
Initiatives that are targeted to specific renewable energy sources:
Name of initiative (agency): National Institute of Standards and
Technology Biomass--Cellulosic Ethanol Research (Commerce);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of renewable
energy sources: Institute staff conduct research on potential ways to
overcome barriers in the production of cellulosic ethanol.
Name of initiative (agency): Aids to Navigation Photovoltaics (DHS);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of renewable
energy sources: To make U.S. waterways more navigable, the Coast Guard
operates and administers a system of aids to navigation around the
nation including buoys, lighthouses, and other lighted structures.
Since the late 1950s the Coast Guard has used solar photovoltaic
panels to power these structures.
Name of initiative (agency): NextGen Environmental Research--Aircraft
Technologies, Fuels and Metrics (DOT);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of renewable
energy sources: The Federal Aviation Administration conducts research
to develop alternative aviation fuels and technologies, including
biofuels, and to better understand their air quality and climate
impacts as part of its effort to improve the nation's air travel
system.
Name of initiative (agency): CHE-DMR-DMS Solar Energy Initiative
(SOLAR) (NSF);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of renewable
energy sources: NSF provides grants to support interdisciplinary
research to address the scientific challenges of highly-efficient
harvesting, conversion, and storage of solar energy.
Source: GAO summary of agency-provided data.
[End of table]
Initiatives Most Commonly Supported Private Sector Recipients:
We found that agencies' initiatives provided support to a range of
recipients in both the public (governmental) and private (generally
nongovernmental) sectors; however, the majority of them supported
private sector recipients. Specifically, almost 90 percent of the
initiatives we identified supported private sector recipients either
exclusively or along with public sector recipients. Figure 3 shows the
percentage of initiatives that supported private or public sector
recipients, or both.
Figure 3: Percentage of Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 47%;
Both public and private: 42%;
Public only: 11%.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Note: This figure does not include data for 11 initiatives for which
we could not determine the applicable recipients based on the
responses received from the following agencies: the Air Force (1), HUD
(4), NASA (3), the Navy (2), and State (1).
[End of figure]
Initiatives supported private sector recipients in a wide range of
efforts that, for example, funded research or construction of
renewable energy projects. Many agencies supported renewable energy
research conducted by private companies, universities, or by other
nongovernmental researchers. For example, several of the agencies we
examined funded renewable energy research as part of their
participation in the Small Business Innovation Research program.
Through this program, which is administered by SBA, agencies with a
budget of $100 million or more for extramural research and
development--research that is conducted by nonfederal employees
outside federal facilities--are to provide funding to small businesses
to, among other efforts, develop commercial products that address
their needs.[Footnote 30] In addition, many agencies we examined
implemented renewable power or energy projects at their facilities,
such as installing solar arrays, ground-source heat pumps, and wind
turbines.[Footnote 31] Generally, these efforts directly supported
recipients in the private sector as equipment manufacturers and
contractors received the funding to design, construct, operate, and
maintain renewable power or energy equipment at agencies' facilities.
The smaller percentage of initiatives that supported public sector
recipients also supported a range of activities. For example, DOE,
DOD, USDA, and other agencies have research laboratories where staff
carry out renewable energy research, along with research on other
topics. In addition, some agencies' initiatives support state, local,
or tribal government activities. For example, EPA provides guidance
and oversight for state regulatory programs that include regulating
aspects of renewable energy production or use, such as the underground
storage of biofuels. In another example, HUD's Neighborhood
Stabilization Program awarded grants to state and local governments,
among other types of recipients, to assist in the redevelopment of
abandoned and foreclosed homes and includes funding for facilitating
renewable energy projects, such as photovoltaic panels. Alternatively,
some initiatives provided support to tribal governments to enhance
their economic self-sufficiency or the skills of their members by, for
example, providing funding for renewable energy projects or training
on renewable energy technologies and resource management. In addition,
while tax expenditures administered by the IRS generally support
activities of private sector taxpayers, some tax expenditures also
provide support for renewable energy efforts of public sector
entities. For example, certain tax expenditures administered by IRS
help public sector entities finance renewable energy projects by
providing a credit to the bondholders who invest in such projects;
thereby allowing the public sector entities to finance their projects
with bonds that have lower interest rates than they would otherwise be
able to issue.[Footnote 32]
Similar to initiatives' support of renewable energy sources, we found
that, in some instances, agencies' initiatives supported renewable
energy activities implemented by a broad range of recipients, while
others were more narrowly targeted. Table 4 provides examples of those
initiatives that supported multiple recipients and those that were
targeted to specific types of recipients.
Table 4: Examples of Initiatives That Support a Broad Range of or Are
Targeted to Certain Recipients:
Initiatives that support a broad range of recipients:
Name of initiative (agency): Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan
Program (USDA);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of recipients:
USDA provides guaranteed loans to borrowers in rural areas in an
effort to improve the economic and environmental climate in those
areas. Borrowers may include a wide range of public and private
entities and individuals.
Name of initiative (agency): Climate Technology Initiative - Private
Financing Advisory Network (USAID and State);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of recipients:
USAID and State provide technical assistance to project developers and
private banks to facilitate financing of renewable energy projects
overseas.
Name of initiative (agency): Foundational Observation Data Sets
(Commerce);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of recipients:
Commerce provides weather observations and forecast data that are
generated from its observation networks, including, in some instances,
renewable energy resource potential. These observations and data are
available to the public, including the renewable energy industry.
Name of initiative (agency): Hydropower Licensing Authority (including
hydrokinetic resource projects) (FERC);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of recipients:
FERC's responsibilities include the licensing and oversight of
hydropower projects. Recipients of this oversight are project
applicants and existing licensees, including a broad range of
nonfederal governmental and private sector entities.
Initiatives that are targeted to specific types of recipients:
Name of initiative (agency): Nano Power Africa (USAID);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of recipients:
USAID partners with universities to create self-sustainable graduate-
level programs in science and engineering in sub-Saharan Africa.
Participants in these programs conduct research to develop low-cost
indigenously produced solar energy devices using nano-materials.
Name of initiative (agency): Energy Efficiency Grants for Education
and Technology (SBA);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of recipients: SBA
provides grants to small business development centers that, in turn,
provide training and counseling services to small businesses. These
grants support training in the use and development of renewable
energy, among other things.
Name of initiative (agency): New Era Rural Technology Program (USDA);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of recipients:
USDA provides grants to community colleges and other post-secondary
institutions in rural areas for research and training in the fields of
bioenergy and agriculture-based renewable energy resources, among
other fields.
Name of initiative (agency): People, Prosperity, and the Planet Award
Program (EPA);
Description: Initiatives that support a broad range of recipients: EPA
awards funding to teams of college students who propose research on
renewable energy-related and other topics that supports sustainability.
Source: GAO summary of agency-provided data.
[End of table]
Agencies' Renewable Energy Efforts Increased Leading up to Fiscal Year
2010, but Future Activity Levels Are Less Certain:
Due to a variety of factors, such as recent legislation and future
budget uncertainty, the initiatives we identified for fiscal year 2010
represent an overall increased level of agency activity over prior
years, and a higher level of activity than may occur in the future. A
number of agency officials reported that renewable energy efforts at
their agencies have increased in recent years as a result of the
Recovery Act. We found that the Recovery Act expanded or modified
agencies' renewable energy initiatives in several ways, such as: (1)
establishing new initiatives, (2) providing additional funding to
existing initiatives, and (3) extending or changing the scope of
existing initiatives. For example, the Recovery Act provided
additional funding to GSA to procure vehicles for federal agencies--
many of which were alternative fuel vehicles--and exchange them for
the agencies' less fuel-efficient vehicles.[Footnote 33] In addition,
many officials reported that their agencies' renewable energy efforts
had increased in recent years due to other laws or executive orders,
some of which provided direction or requirements to increase efforts
to incorporate renewable energy into agency vehicle fleets and
facilities. A few other officials reported that renewable energy
efforts, such as authorizing development on federal lands and off-
shore areas, had increased in recent years due to federal legislation.
For example, under EPAct 2005, Interior received specific jurisdiction
for renewable energy development on the outer continental shelf, which
officials reported led to an overall increase in the agency's
renewable energy-related efforts. Some officials also reported that
their agencies' renewable energy efforts had increased in recent years
as a result of the priority placed on renewable energy by their
agencies' leadership or by the administration. At the same time,
several officials noted uncertainty as to the future level of their
agencies' renewable energy efforts due to potential budgetary
constraints. Others observed that, although there is interest in
increasing renewable energy efforts, such as installing renewable
energy projects at their facilities, funding is limited and that they
are looking into the possibility of financing these projects through
third parties, such as private energy services companies. Furthermore,
authorization for some initiatives, including programs funded by the
Recovery Act and certain tax expenditures that supported renewable
energy projects during fiscal year 2010 are set to or have already
expired.[Footnote 34] A few officials noted that the expiration of
these programs or tax expenditures may reduce future renewable energy
efforts.
Agencies' Initiatives Support Several Key Federal Roles, and Certain
Agencies Tend to Lead Efforts for These Roles:
Across the federal government, agencies' renewable energy initiatives
supported several key federal roles, and within each of these roles,
we found that certain agencies tend to lead federal efforts.
Governmentwide, more than 80 percent of agencies' renewable energy
initiatives span four key federal roles--conducting and supporting
research and development, using energy in agency vehicle fleets and
facilities, providing incentives for commercialization and deployment,
and issuing regulations and permits and ensuring compliance.[Footnote
35] Beyond these key federal roles, the remaining 19 percent of
initiatives focused on other efforts, such as the power generation,
transmission, and marketing activities of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and DOE's Power Marketing Administrations; and the training
and capacity building or trade and market development activities of
agencies like Commerce, Labor, SBA, State, and USAID.[Footnote 36]
Figure 4 shows the percentage of agencies' renewable energy
initiatives according to their federal role and other.
Figure 4: Percentage of Agencies' Initiatives by Key Federal Role and
Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 29%;
Fleets and facilities: 27%;
Commercialization and deployment: 18%;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: 6%;
Other: 19%.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Notes: This figure does not include data for 5 initiatives for which
we could not determine the applicable federal roles based on the
responses received from the following agencies: the Air Force (1),
NASA (3), and the Navy (1). Also, percentages do not add to 100 due to
rounding.
[End of figure]
At an agency level, we found that each agency's renewable energy
initiatives were more frequently concentrated in certain of the four
key federal roles we analyzed. Specifically, we analyzed the
initiatives to determine which federal roles included a relatively
higher percentage of each agency's initiatives. Some agencies'
initiatives were concentrated in a single federal role, while other
agencies' initiatives were spread across several roles. Table 5 shows
the distribution of agencies' initiatives across the four key federal
roles.
Table 5: Agencies' Initiatives across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Agency: Commerce;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives.
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: DOD; DOD other;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: DOD; Air Force;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: DOD; Army;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: DOD; Marine Corps;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: DOD; Navy;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: DHS;
Research and development: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: DOE;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: DOT;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with 25 percent or more
of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: EPA;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with 25 percent
or more of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: FERC;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with 25 percent
or more of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: GSA;
Research and development: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: HUD;
Research and development: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with 25 percent or more
of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: Interior;
Research and development: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with 25 percent
or more of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: Justice;
Research and development: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: Labor;
Research and development: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: NASA;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: NSF;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: SBA;
Research and development: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with 25 percent or more
of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: State;
Research and development: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: Treasury;
Research and development: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with 25 percent or more
of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: USAID;
Research and development: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Agency: USDA;
Research and development: Federal role with 25 percent or more of an
agency's initiatives;
Fleets and facilities: Federal role with less than 25 percent of an
agency's initiatives;
Commercialization and deployment: Federal role with 25 percent or more
of an agency's initiatives;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Federal role with less than 25
percent of an agency's initiatives.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Notes: We chose 25 percent as the threshold to examine the
distribution of agencies' initiatives across the four key federal
roles, assuming that if an agency's initiatives were evenly
distributed across the four roles, each of the roles would be
darkened. We did not include "other" initiatives in this analysis
because we focused on the four key federal roles. Also, this table
does not include data for 5 initiatives for which we could not
determine the applicable federal roles based on the responses received
from the following agencies: the Air Force (1), NASA (3), and the Navy
(1).
[End of table]
[Side bar: ARPA-E funds development of cyanobacteria for solar-powered
highly efficient production of biofuels:
[2 photographs]
Source: Photos from Arizona State University websites.
One example of the type of research and development efforts supported
by DOE's ARPA-E is the $5.2 million grant provided to Arizona State
University scientists under the Funding Opportunity Announcement 1
initiative to further develop a renewable source of biodiesel from
bacteria known as cyanobacteria. These bacteria use sunlight, water,
and carbon dioxide to produce and secrete fat that can be converted to
biofuel. According to ARPA-E's website, this novel approach to
developing biofuels from microorganisms is more energy efficient than
other methods of producing biofuels, which divert more of the sun's
energy to cellular growth. In addition, cyanobacteria can be grown on
nonarable land, and will not compete for resources with food crops. This
2-year project is a continuation of an earlier $4.7 million Arizona
State University pilot project called "Tubes in the Desert," which
developed cyanobacteria as a feedstock for biodiesel production, as
well as a technology to optimize growth and production of the bacteria
using solar energy. This pilot project was completed in 2009 using
private funding. End of side bar]
We identified certain agencies that led efforts within each of the
four key federal roles, as follows.
Research and development. For the research and development key federal
role, DOE, DOD, and USDA implemented many initiatives to help develop
renewable energy technologies. Specifically:
* DOE. Through 51 initiatives, DOE researched and developed what it
refers to as "clean energy" technologies--including renewable energy--
in support of its mission of ensuring America's security and
prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear
challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.
Several offices within DOE, such as EERE, ARPA-E, OE, and the Office
of Science, engage in a wide range of research and development
activities that support multiple renewable energy sources. Almost half
of DOE's renewable energy research and development initiatives are
housed within EERE, which funded 24 initiatives related to, for
example, lowering the costs of solar, wind, water, bioenergy, and
geothermal technologies, among other renewable energy-related topics.
ARPA-E's research and development initiatives invest in efforts to
overcome barriers to technology development by providing funding for
new high-risk technologies until they are developed enough to obtain
private funding or be commercialized.[Footnote 37] Examples of such
technologies related to renewable energy include energy storage
options for hydropower and the use of microorganisms to convert carbon
dioxide into liquid fuels. In addition, OE's research and development
efforts work toward providing a reliable, efficient, and resilient
electric power grid, and include developing smart grid and energy
storage technologies. EERE, ARPA-E, and OE promote technology-based
research for harnessing renewable energy sources, and the Office of
Science supports basic science research on diverse topics, including
new methods of solar energy capture and conversion and new plant
feedstocks--crops or products that can be converted to bioenergy.
* DOD. Through 53 initiatives, DOD also engaged in renewable energy-
related research and development to support its mission of providing
U.S. military forces with the capabilities needed to protect and
advance U.S. interests. DOD has determined that renewable energy
sources could help achieve its mission by, among other benefits,
expanding and securing necessary energy supplies to reduce dependence
on foreign oil. Across DOD, each of the military services conducts
research efforts that include examining how renewable energy could
help meet its particular needs. For example, through their alternative
fuel programs, the Air Force and Navy conduct research on new
biofuels, biomass, and algae-derived fuels in order to power aircraft
and ships. As part of its Alternative Fuels Certification initiative,
the Air Force tests and certifies alternative fuels, including
renewable alternative fuels such as biomass-derived fuels, and fuel
blend technologies in weapons systems (e.g., aircraft), support and
fuel delivery equipment, and storage infrastructure. Similarly, the
Navy's Alternative Fuels Program focuses on examining whether fuels
produced using certain methods can be used in its equipment. These
efforts contribute to the high level energy goals set forth in the
Navy's Energy Program for Security and Independence, which include
sailing the "Great Green Fleet"--a carrier strike group composed of
nuclear ships, hybrid electric ships running on biofuel, and aircraft
flying on biofuel--by 2016, and meeting at least 50 percent of shore-
based energy requirements from alternative sources by 2020, among
other energy goals. The Army and Marine Corps also conduct research
focused on using renewable energy to meet their deployed forces'
needs. For example, the Army's tactical electric power research
activities help incorporate renewable energy technologies into
tactical electric power generation equipment, such as the
Transportable Hybrid Electric Power Station, which uses solar and wind
energy to reduce the reliance on fossil fuel generators. In a similar
effort, the Marine Corps developed a portable solar power and battery
system through the Navy's Future Naval Capabilities Program.
[Side bar: The Marine Corps' Ground Renewable Expeditionary ENergy
System:
[Photograph]
Source: Photo provided by a Marine Corps official.
One example of the Marine Corps' renewable energy research and
development activities is the Ground Renewable Expeditionary
ENergy System (GREENS), a portable hybrid 300-watt photovoltaic power
system. The Marine Corps worked with the Navy to develop this system
under the Future Naval Capabilities Program-—an effort to leverage
research on emerging technologies to close military capability gaps.
This effort supports the Marine Corps' focus on meeting operational
energy needs with renewable energy. Powered by the sun, GREENS
provides continuous electricity for Marines in remote field locations.
The GREENS project was conceived in fall 2008 to address military
needs in Iraq. The project received expedited approval with technical
execution completed in less than 6 months, the first unit tested in
July 2009, and solicitation for a production contract in the fall of
2009. In August 2010, GREENS was deployed along with several other
renewable energy technologies to Afghanistan for further evaluation
under the Experimental Forward Operating Base approach, a Marine Corps
initiative to test and evaluate alternative solutions to reduce
deployed forces' energy and water needs. According to information
provided by the Marine Corps, the tests conducted on renewable energy
technologies in Afghanistan yielded promising results. End of side bar]
* USDA. USDA had 31 renewable energy research and development
initiatives to support the nation's food, agriculture, and natural
resources supply. For example, USDA's Agricultural Research Service
(ARS) conducts a variety of research initiatives that focus on
bioenergy feedstocks and related technologies and issues. Under its
Bioenergy National Program, ARS develops technologies for the
sustainable production of biofuels by the agricultural sector in ways
that enhance natural resources without disrupting existing food, feed,
and fiber markets. ARS efforts under this initiative include
developing new varieties of bioenergy feedstocks, improved production
and harvesting practices, and cost-competitive technologies for
producing biofuels from feedstocks. As a counterpart to ARS's efforts,
the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) provides funding
for the research efforts of academic researchers and others that focus
on developing regional systems of bioenergy production using dedicated
energy crops.[Footnote 38] Its key initiatives include the Agriculture
and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant Program--Sustainable
Bioenergy Challenge Area, which provides grants for the sustainable
production of bioenergy to help reduce dependence on foreign oil,
among other goals. Another key NIFA research and development effort is
leading USDA's participation in the Small Business Innovation Research
Program. Across a number of initiatives focusing on biofuels, forests
and related resources, rural development, aquaculture, and other
areas, NIFA provides grants to small businesses engaged in renewable
energy-related research. The Forest Service also conducts research on
bioenergy sources, such as forest biomass.
* Fleets and facilities. For the fleets and facilities key federal
role, some agencies such as DOD implemented a large number of
initiatives, while others such as GSA and DOE have unique initiatives
to guide, track, and coordinate renewable energy efforts. Specifically:
* DOD. With 49 initiatives related to nontactical vehicle fleets and
facilities and tactical equipment procurement, DOD has the most
initiatives in this federal role. For example, one initiative
implemented by the facilities energy staff within the Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment is to develop
DOD-wide renewable energy policy, provide oversight, and track and
report progress for DOD's facilities towards achieving energy goals.
Another initiative the facilities energy staff implement is DOD's
Energy Conservation Investment Program, a DOD-wide program that
provides the military services and DOD agencies with funding for
projects selected on the basis of their financial returns,
contribution towards energy efficiency and renewable energy goals, and
their potential to mitigate energy security risks. Apart from these
higher level DOD-wide initiatives, each of the military services
implements initiatives to carry out its responsibilities for managing
individual energy projects at its own installations. Table 6 provides
the number of each military service's installations with renewable
energy projects.
Table 6: Number of Each Military Service's Installations with
Renewable Energy Projects:
Agency: Air Force;
Number of installations with DOD-financed projects:
Installations with small scale projects: more than 45;
Installations with medium scale projects: 7;
Installations with large scale projects: 0;
Number of installations with third party-financed projects[A]:
Installations with small scale projects: 7;
Installations with medium scale projects: 6;
Installations with large scale projects: 0.
Agency: Army;
Number of installations with DOD-financed projects:
Installations with small scale projects: more than 72;
Installations with medium scale projects: 4;
Installations with large scale projects: 0;
Number of installations with third party-financed projects[A]:
Installations with small scale projects: 12;
Installations with medium scale projects: 3;
Installations with large scale projects: 4.
Agency: Marine Corps;
Number of installations with DOD-financed projects:
Installations with small scale projects: 13;
Installations with medium scale projects: 2;
Installations with large scale projects: 0;
Number of installations with third party-financed projects[A]:
Installations with small scale projects: 6;
Installations with medium scale projects: 4;
Installations with large scale projects: 0.
Agency: Navy;
Number of installations with DOD-financed projects:
Installations with small scale projects: 52;
Installations with medium scale projects: 6;
Installations with large scale projects: 0;
Number of installations with third party-financed projects[A]:
Installations with small scale projects: 13;
Installations with medium scale projects: 5;
Installations with large scale projects: 2.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Note: Small scale projects generate (or are designed to generate) less
than 1,000 megawatt hours of energy per year. Medium scale projects
generate (or are designed to generate) from 1,000 to 49,999 megawatt
hours per year. Large scale projects generate (or are designed to
generate) 50,000 megawatt hours or more per year.
[A] Third party-financed projects are installed using various
financing mechanisms, such as energy savings performance contracts,
power purchase agreements, or some other financing agreement whereby
an outside party, such as a private energy services company, provides
funding for the project.
[End of table]
* GSA. GSA plays a key governmentwide support role by constructing,
leasing, or managing buildings or other properties on behalf of
federal agencies and by serving as the federal government's purchasing
agent, which includes integrating renewable energy into federal
agencies' vehicle fleets. Through its seven fleets and facilities
initiatives, GSA has two main responsibilities with regard to
renewable energy: (1) to assist with energy procurement for federal
facilities and (2) to assist federal agencies in incorporating
renewable energy into their vehicle fleets. For example, according to
GSA officials, GSA's contracts enable EPA to meet its goal of having
all of its electricity come from renewable sources. GSA officials also
stated that the agency helps coordinate efforts across different
agencies with energy procurement responsibilities to assist agencies
in meeting the energy requirements of federal mandates and executive
orders. Similarly, GSA funds renewable energy projects and power
purchases and tracks on-site power generation across its own portfolio
of buildings. For vehicle fleets, GSA informs agencies on available
vehicle options and capabilities and serves as the mandatory source
for all nontactical vehicle purchases by federal agencies. In
addition, GSA acts as a primary, but nonmandatory, source for vehicles
leased by federal agencies.
* DOE. DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) offers technical
assistance, guidance, education, and outreach to help federal agencies
deploy energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation
technologies in an effort to implement cost-effective energy
management and investment practices.[Footnote 39] With respect to
vehicle fleets, FEMP provides guidance and assistance to help agencies
implement federal legislative and regulatory requirements that mandate
reduced petroleum consumption and increased alternative fuel use. FEMP
also helps federal agencies access private sector financing to fund
energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy projects at their
facilities through energy savings performance contracts, power
purchase agreements, and other financing mechanisms. In addition,
DOE's Sustainability Performance Office engages in activities designed
to implement federal environmental, energy, and transportation
management goals at DOE sites.
Commercialization and deployment. Within the commercialization and
deployment key federal role, Treasury and USDA, among other agencies,
provided important incentives to stimulate renewable energy
development through a variety of different types of financial support.
Specifically:
* Treasury. Treasury's IRS administered 21 tax expenditures that
provided incentives to expand the use of renewable energy in
transportation (through increased production and use of biofuels), and
electricity or heat generation (through increased investment and
manufacturing), among other incentives. For example, IRS provides an
excise tax credit of 45 cents per gallon to gasoline suppliers and
marketers who blend ethanol with petroleum-based fuels.[Footnote 40]
IRS also supports the development of renewable energy for electricity
through the Energy Production Tax credit, which, in calendar year
2010, was largely used to develop wind energy, according to
information provided by IRS. The amount of the credit varies depending
upon the source: in calendar year 2010, the credit amount for wind,
geothermal, and certain biomass electricity production was 2.2 cents
per kilowatt hour, and 1.1 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity
produced from other renewable energy sources. Table 7 shows the 21
renewable energy-related tax expenditures administered by IRS.
Table 7: Tax Expenditures That Support Renewable Energy:
Type of incentive: Transportation incentives;
Tax expenditure name:
Ethanol Excise and Income Tax Credits[A,C];
Alcohol and Alcohol Fuel Mixtures Excise and Income Tax Credits[B,C];
Type of incentive: Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit[C];
Small Ethanol Producer Credit[C];
Credit for the Production of Cellulosic Biofuel;
Biodiesel Excise and Income Tax Credits[C];
Small Agri-Biodiesel Producer Credit[C];
Credit for Clean Fuel Burning Vehicles[C];
Credit for Clean-Fuel Burning Vehicle Refueling Property[C].
Type of incentive: Electricity or heat incentives;
Tax expenditure name:
Energy Production Credit;
Exclusion of Utility Conservation Subsidies;
Credit for Residential Energy Efficient Property;
Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit;
Energy Investment Credit;
Credit for Holding Clean Renewable Energy Bonds;
Credit for Holding New Clean Renewable Energy Bonds;
Direct Payment in Lieu of a Credit for Holding New Clean Renewable
Energy Bonds;
Credit for Holding Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds;
Direct Payment in Lieu of a Credit for Holding Qualified Energy
Conservation Bonds;
Exclusion of Interest on Energy Facility Bonds (private activity bonds);
Accelerated Depreciation Recovery Periods for Specific Energy Property.
Source: GAO summary of agency data.
Note: This list of tax expenditures was developed based on information
provided by IRS officials to represent provisions of the Internal
Revenue Code that provide support for renewable energy. The list was
developed specifically to represent the criteria for collecting data
on distinct renewable energy initiatives for this report. As a result,
the count does not necessarily track Treasury's published tax
expenditure list which, for example, may encompass multiple provisions
in a tax expenditure listed.
[A] The ethanol excise tax credit is known as the Volumetric Ethanol
Excise Tax Credit.
[B] The alcohol and alcohol fuel mixtures excise and income tax
credits apply to alcohol fuels other than ethanol.
[C] These tax expenditures, or, in some instances, certain components
of them were set to expire on December 31, 2011, according to
information provided by IRS. As detailed in appendix IV, agencies
provided information on expiring initiatives as of fall 2011 and we
did not update this information to reflect whether or not any of the
initiatives expected to expire prior to the issuance of our final
report, such as certain tax expenditures that supported ethanol or
other biofuels, actually did expire.
[End of table]
[Side bar: Payments for Specific Energy Property in Lieu of Tax
Credits:
Treasury's commercialization and deployment initiatives are primarily
tax expenditures administered by the IRS, but Treasury was also
charged with implementing a cash grant program under Section 1603 of
the Recovery Act. Through this program, Treasury provides payments of
up to 30 percent of a project's total eligible costs to applicants who
place specified energy property, including renewable energy systems,
in service for use in a trade or business. Treasury implements this
program in coordination with DOE's National Renewable Energy
Laboratory, which assists in reviewing the applications. Program
applicants may take the payment in lieu of either the Energy
Production or Investment Credits administered by IRS, and these
payments provide an incentive for investment in property for
electricity and heat production, particularly for those applicants
without sufficient tax liability to utilize one of the tax credits.
Initially, the program provided cash grants for renewable energy
projects placed in service as of December 31, 2010, or which began
construction in 2009 or 2010. However, the program was extended for 1
year as part of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance
Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Under current law,
projects have to be under construction by the end of calendar year
2011, with applications submitted by October 1, 2012, to take
advantage of the program. For those projects that were awarded funding
through October 2011, 97 percent of the projects supported were solar
energy projects, while wind energy projects received 79 percent of the
funding provided because, according to a Treasury official, these
projects tend to be more expensive.
Figure: [Refer to PDF for image: 2 pie-charts]
Percent of projects funded:
Solar: 97%;
Other: 3%.
Percent of funding received:
Wind: 79%;
Other: 21%.
Source: GAO analysis of Treasury data.
[End of figure]
Note: In the figures, 'other' includes renewable energy sources such
as bioenergy and geothermal, as well as nonrenewable energy sources
such as fuel cells and combined heat and power. End of side bar]
In addition to tax expenditures, under Section 1603 of the Recovery
Act, Treasury offers payments for specific energy property in lieu of
the Energy Production and Energy Investment tax credits. These
payments provide an incentive for investment in property for
electricity and heat production, particularly those applicants without
sufficient tax liability to utilize a tax credit.
* USDA. USDA leads the greatest number of commercialization and
deployment efforts among federal agencies. USDA had 28
commercialization and deployment initiatives, most of which supported
the production of ethanol or other types of bioenergy. Within USDA,
the Farm Service Agency, Forest Service, Rural Business Service, and
Rural Utilities Service provided incentives for a wide range of
activities from producing biofuel feedstocks and building
biorefineries to installing renewable energy generation projects on
farms. For example, the Farm Service Agency's initiatives focused on
supporting the production of biomass crops for energy. Its key
initiative--the Biomass Crop Assistance Program--provides payments to
farmers and foresters for biomass feedstock production. In addition,
the Farm Service Agency is working with other USDA agencies to develop
a roadmap to meet Renewable Fuel Standard goals for biofuels
production, while the Rural Business Service provided loan guarantees
to support the development, construction, or retrofitting of
commercial scale biorefineries. The Forest Service also supported
commercialization and deployment of bioenergy through a variety of
initiatives that provided incentives to utilize biomass collected from
Forest Service and state and private lands for energy. Other USDA
initiatives supported a broader range of renewable energy sources. For
example, the Rural Business Service's Rural Energy for America Program
provides guaranteed loans and grants to assist farmers, ranchers, and
small businesses to install renewable energy systems. Most fiscal year
2010 renewable energy projects were solar or small-scale wind
projects, but many other types of projects, such as biomass anaerobic
digestors, were also funded. In addition, the Rural Utilities Service
provided loans, loan guarantees, or grants to a variety of recipients
to support projects that incorporate renewable energy to improve
electric service in rural areas and to assist rural communities with
high energy costs.
Regulation, permitting, and compliance. Accounting for 6 percent of
initiatives overall, initiatives within the regulation, permitting,
and compliance key federal role--implemented by several key agencies
such as Interior and EPA--affect a wide range of renewable energy
development activities.[Footnote 41] Specifically:
* Interior. Interior had 24 initiatives related to regulation,
permitting, and compliance of renewable energy projects on federal
property--over half of the total number of initiatives across agencies
related to this federal role. Interior's Bureau of Land Management
regulates solar, wind, and geothermal energy development on public
lands. For example, the Bureau of Land Management conducted large-
scale solar resource assessments, environmental impact studies, and
took other steps to streamline its regulatory processes to expedite
solar development on its lands. In addition, in fiscal year 2010,
Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and
Enforcement (BOEMRE) was responsible for implementing a program to
grant leases, easements, and rights-of-way for orderly, safe, and
environmentally responsible renewable energy development, such as
siting and constructing off-shore wind facilities on the outer
continental shelf--generally beyond 3 miles from shore in most states.
[Footnote 42] BOEMRE's initiatives included holding intergovernmental
task force meetings on siting for potential off-shore wind projects
and conducting stakeholder outreach and coordination, and examining
related technologies to understand their environmental impacts and
develop standards and inspection guidelines. Recently, BOEMRE
increased efforts--particularly for off-shore wind--in part due to
heightened interest at the state level, according to officials.
* EPA. EPA also has a key role in implementing renewable energy-
related regulation, permitting, and compliance activities to meet the
objectives of federal legislation to protect the nation's air, water,
and human health. For example, under its Renewable Fuel Standard
program, EPA's Office of Air and Radiation establishes requirements
and ensures compliance on the volume and types of biofuels used in the
transportation sector, as required by the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007. The Office of Air and Radiation also conducts
vehicle emissions testing to support future regulation of biofuels
emissions. In addition, the Office of Air and Radiation is responsible
for oversight of state and local permitting authorities that issue
permits to large industrial sources of pollution, such as factories
and power plants, and ensure that pollution from these sources does
not exceed limits imposed under the Clean Air Act. As part of this
effort, EPA encourages these sources to consider using renewable
energy to reduce emissions. EPA's Office of Underground Storage Tanks
also performs a regulatory function by overseeing and coordinating
with state regulators and private fuel companies regarding the
underground storage of biofuels.
For more detailed information on each agency's renewable energy
initiatives, see GAO-12-259SP. This e-supplement provides information
on the components of each agency responsible for implementing
renewable energy initiatives; a description of each initiative,
including what it is, how it works, and how it relates to renewable
energy; as well as data on the renewable energy sources, recipient
types, and federal roles supported by each initiative. Readers who
would like analyses of agencies' renewable energy initiatives other
than those presented in this report may download the data and sort it
in different ways.
Agency Comments and Our Evaluation:
We provided Commerce, DHS, DOD, DOE, DOT, EPA, FERC, GSA, HUD,
Interior, Justice, Labor, NASA, NSF, SBA, State, Treasury, USDA, and
USAID with a draft of this report for review and comment. Commerce and
DHS provided written comments in which Commerce generally agreed with
the overall findings of the report as they relate to the Department of
Commerce, and DHS neither agreed nor disagreed with our findings, but
provided information on the Department's energy efficiency efforts.
Their written comments are presented in appendixes V and VI of this
report, respectively. In addition, Commerce, DOE, DOT, EPA, HUD,
Interior, Labor, NASA, NSF, SBA, and USDA provided technical or
clarifying comments, which we incorporated as appropriate. In
particular, as part of its technical comments, NSF had one comment of
a more general nature which was that the report's title could imply
excessive or wasteful federal efforts. In this regard, the report
title conveys our primary finding, which is that federal agencies
implement hundreds of renewable energy-related initiatives. We did not
analyze the extent to which any of these initiatives might be
considered excessive or wasteful. We made no change for this comment.
DOD, FERC, GSA, Justice, State, Treasury, and USAID indicated they had
no comments on the report.
As agreed with your offices, unless you publicly announce the contents
of this report earlier, we plan no further distribution until 14 days
from the report date. At that time, we will send copies of this report
to the appropriate congressional committees, the Secretaries of
Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, Housing and
Urban Development, the Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, and the
Treasury; the Attorney General of the United States; the
Administrators of EPA, GSA, NASA, SBA, and USAID; the Chairman of
FERC; and the Director of NSF. In addition, the report will be
available at no charge on the GAO website at [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov].
If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please
contact me at (202) 512-3841 or ruscof@gao.gov. Contact points for our
Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on
the last page of this report. GAO staff who made key contributions to
this report are listed in appendix VII.
Signed by:
Frank Rusco:
Director, Natural Resources and Environment:
[End of section]
Appendix I: Scope and Methodology:
This appendix provides information on the scope of our work and the
methodology used to (1) identify federal agencies' renewable energy-
related initiatives governmentwide and (2) examine the federal roles
these agencies' initiatives support. It also provides information on
the steps taken to examine the extent to which the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) established, expanded, or
modified agencies' renewable energy-related initiatives, and to
identify those initiatives for which authority has recently or will
soon expire without congressional action.
To identify federal agencies' renewable energy-related initiatives, we
performed a series of steps to determine which agencies implement
renewable energy efforts, and what should be reported as a renewable
energy-related initiative. We then compiled an inventory of federal
agencies' renewable energy-related initiatives by collecting data (1)
from agency documents and other information sources, (2) through a
structured data request provided to the agencies, and (3) through
interviews with agency officials.
At the outset of our work, we determined that it would not be feasible
to examine every federal department, agency, or other entity to
collect data on renewable energy efforts because many agencies
indicated that data on such efforts were not tracked in a centralized,
comprehensive, or consistent manner.[Footnote 43] Therefore, we began
by focusing on the 24 agencies subject to the Chief Financial Officers
Act of 1990 (CFO Act), as these agencies were collectively responsible
for 98 percent of federal outlays in fiscal year 2009.[Footnote 44]
Among these 24 agencies, we further focused our work on those with
renewable energy-related activities that went beyond standard
governmentwide efforts to incorporate renewable energy into their
vehicle fleets and facilities in response to requirements and
direction established by federal laws and executive orders.
Specifically, we identified a number of the CFO Act agencies which,
based on their missions, seemed unlikely to implement renewable energy-
related efforts beyond vehicle fleets and facilities efforts. We
reviewed these agencies' fiscal year 2011 congressional budget
justification documents and strategic plans by performing keyword
searches for renewable energy-related terms. We examined the text
where renewable energy-related information was identified, followed up
with agency officials and, as result, excluded the Department of
Health and Human Services, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of
Personnel Management, and Social Security Administration from our
work. In addition, while we originally included the departments of
Education and Veterans Affairs in our scope, we later learned that
they did not implement renewable energy efforts beyond vehicle fleets
and facilities efforts and, therefore, we also excluded them. Through
these efforts we found that 18 of the 24 CFO agencies had activities
beyond incorporating renewable energy into their fleets and
facilities. Within the Department of Defense (DOD), we collected data
separately for each of the military services and from other DOD
components that report to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. We
also collected data for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
separately from the Department of Energy (DOE).[Footnote 45]
Therefore, our report provides data on the following 23 agencies:
* Department of Agriculture,
* Department of the Air Force,
* Department of the Army,
* Department of Commerce,
* Department of Defense (other components that report to the Office of
the Secretary of Defense),
* Department of Energy,
* Department of Homeland Security,[Footnote 46]
* Department of Housing and Urban Development,
* Department of the Interior,
* Department of Justice,
* Department of Labor,
* Department of the Navy (Navy),
* Department of the Navy (U.S. Marine Corps),
* Department of State,[Footnote 47]
* Department of Transportation,
* Department of the Treasury,
* Environmental Protection Agency,
* Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
* General Services Administration,
* National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
* National Science Foundation,
* Small Business Administration, and:
* U.S. Agency for International Development.[Footnote 48]
To develop a definition of renewable energy we reviewed definitions
used in legislation, by federal agencies, and by other organizations.
We found that there were a number of similarities as well as some
differences among the definitions. For example, while the definitions
we reviewed generally defined renewable energy as regenerative and
included energy sources such as solar or wind, some definitions
considered hydrogen to be a renewable energy source while others did
not. Also, definitions did not consistently include or classify waste,
such as municipal solid waste, as a renewable energy source. Based on
our review of these definitions, we defined renewable energy as energy
derived from any of the following sources: bioenergy, such as liquid
biofuel and solid biomass fuel; geothermal; hydropower; solar; wind;
ocean energy, including wave, tidal, current, and ocean thermal
energy; and waste conversion sources, such as landfill gas, and
municipal solid waste. This energy can be applied in any form,
including electricity, transportation, heating, or small scale
applications such as streetlights or trash compactors.[Footnote 49]
We defined a renewable energy-related initiative as a program or group
of agency activities serving a similar purpose or function that
involved renewable energy through a specific emphasis or focus, even
if renewable energy was only one part of a broader effort.[Footnote
50] These initiatives included both agency spending programs and tax
expenditures. In some instances, initiatives we identified
corresponded to distinct agency programs or initiatives. In other
cases, we identified and grouped similar activities into initiatives
based on our own judgment when there did not already appear to be a
formal name for the initiative, or disaggregated higher-level
activities that included multiple initiatives. Where we identified
individual renewable energy-related projects, such as a specific
facility energy effort or grant award, we did not consider the
projects to be initiatives themselves; rather we identified the
broader program or area of effort to which they belonged as an
initiative. As a result, the data that we developed do not necessarily
represent initiatives that are of similar size in terms of agency
financial commitments, number of projects involved, or other
quantitative measures.[Footnote 51] Also, as a result of this
methodology, initiatives that supported or regulated renewable energy,
but that were not specifically focused on renewable energy, were
excluded from our inventory. For instance, the Department of the
Treasury's Internal Revenue Service administers a number of tax
expenditures that provide incentives for certain activities, such as
research or agricultural activities, that could involve renewable
energy but which do not have a specific focus on renewable energy.
Other federal agencies have broad regulatory roles that involve
renewable energy, but do not have renewable energy-focused
initiatives. For instance, within the Department of Agriculture, the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Biotechnology Regulatory
Services regulates genetically engineered plants that companies wish
to commercialize. These genetically engineered plants may include
biofuel crops, but the program has no particular focus on biofuel
crops. Similarly, the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has specific jurisdiction
over the transportation of biofuels by pipeline. However, it exercises
oversight of biofuel pipelines through its existing regulatory and
enforcement program addressing all pipeline integrity and safety
issues, rather than developing a program that focuses specifically on
biofuel transportation.
Using these definitions of renewable energy and a renewable energy-
related initiative, and focusing on the 23 agencies included in our
review, we developed data on agencies' initiatives that were funded,
planned, implemented, or authorized in fiscal year 2010. We did so by
using a similar search approach as in our scoping work to examine
agencies' fiscal year 2010 and 2011 budget documents, strategic
planning documents, other information sources, and agency
websites.[Footnote 52] For each agency, we developed a structured data
request that included information on that agency's renewable energy-
related initiatives as identified during our keyword searches. We sent
the data request to officials from each agency for them to confirm,
delete, or add initiatives as appropriate to ensure that the list of
initiatives represented those agency activities that incorporated
renewable energy in some specific way, and that were funded, planned,
implemented, or authorized in fiscal year 2010. As part of the data
request, we also collected the following information on each
initiative, among other data requested:
* the component(s) of the agency responsible for implementing the
initiatives;
* descriptions of the initiatives, including their purpose, how they
are implemented, and how they relate to renewable energy;
* the renewable energy sources applicable to the initiatives;
* the direct recipients of funding, services, or other types of
support from the initiatives;[Footnote 53]
* the extent to which the Recovery Act established, expanded, or
modified initiatives; and:
* issues related to expiring legislative authority to implement the
initiatives.
After receiving responses to the data request, we conducted interviews
with agency officials responsible for providing the data to (1) assess
the accuracy, reliability, and completeness of the data provided, and
(2) collect additional data concerning the agencies' renewable energy-
related initiatives, such as qualitative information on trends in the
agencies' initiatives over time and the availability of data on the
level of financial support specifically provided for renewable energy
through the initiatives. We determined the data to be sufficiently
reliable for the purposes of this report. We then analyzed the data we
collected to develop descriptive information on the agencies'
renewable energy-related initiatives. Appendix II and GAO-12-259SP
provide more detailed information on individual agencies' initiatives.
We also summarized the information collected on the extent to which
the Recovery Act established, expanded, or modified initiatives and
issues related to expiring legislative authority to implement
initiatives. Information on these topics is provided in appendixes III
and IV, respectively.
The number of initiatives agencies implement and related descriptive
information are important to understanding renewable energy efforts
governmentwide; however, we recognize that other measures of agencies'
activities are important as well. For example, data on the level of
financial support agencies provide, coordination of efforts, and other
information are also indicators of agencies' renewable energy efforts.
During this review, we did not evaluate agencies' renewable energy-
related initiatives on the basis of these other indicators. In
particular, we did not collect information on the level of financial
support agencies provide for their renewable energy efforts because,
during follow-up discussions, officials stated that for many
initiatives, financial support for renewable energy efforts is not
tracked separately from other activities; therefore, we could not
collect reliable funding data across the full inventory of initiatives
we identified. We recognize that initiatives may vary greatly in the
scale of their funding or the number of entities expected to benefit,
among other things; however, in this report, we do not discuss these
differences or compare the scale of the initiatives we identified.
To examine the federal roles agencies' renewable energy initiatives
support, we analyzed the data we collected to identify the federal
roles of the initiatives each agency implemented. Specifically, we
categorized agencies' initiatives on the basis of whether each
initiative was most closely related to four key federal roles or
"other" that we identified and defined for purposes of this work as
follows:
* Research and development. Efforts that further the knowledge of or
the ability to create, develop, or improve renewable energy
technologies through, for example, grants or other forms of financial
support to carry out such work. We included technology demonstration
as part of this area for purposes of our analysis.
* Commercialization and deployment. Activities that provide incentives
for the implementation or promote the competitiveness of renewable
energy technologies in the commercial market place. The activities
include, for example, loans, grants, and other financial support for
the design and construction of renewable energy projects or
nonfinancial project-specific assistance, such as technical assistance
or legal support.
* Regulation, permitting, and compliance. Activities that ensure
compliance with federal laws and regulations regarding renewable
energy production, use, technologies, or facilities. These activities
include, for example, processing applications, conducting compliance
reviews and environmental assessments, inspections, and enforcement.
* Fleets and facilities. Efforts to incorporate renewable energy into
an agency's property, buildings, vehicles, and other transportation
equipment. These efforts include, for example, installing renewable
energy generation equipment at agency facilities or leasing
alternative fuel vehicles. In addition, we included equipment, such as
tactical military equipment, that is procured and deployed by agencies
and that incorporates renewable energy technologies as part of the
fleets and facilities federal role.
* Other. Other types of agency efforts related to renewable energy
that, for example, provide information, services, or other types of
support.
We conducted this performance audit from April 2010 through February
2012 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit
to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable
basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for
our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
[End of section]
Appendix II: Information on Federal Agencies' Renewable Energy-Related
Initiatives:
This appendix provides supplementary information to the data
represented in figures and tables in the report. Figures 5 through 96
present a series of four figures per agency. The four figures for each
agency show: (1) the number of agency initiatives supporting each
renewable energy source; (2) the number of energy sources supported by
the agency's initiatives; (3) the percentage of agency initiatives
that support public sector or private sector recipients, or both; and
(4) the percentage of initiatives for each agency that support each
key federal role considered in our analysis or that we categorized as
"other."[Footnote 54] In addition, tables 8 through 14 show the number
of agencies' initiatives across the four key federal roles, according
to energy source. Each table includes information for initiatives that
target a single energy source as well as those that support multiple
sources.
U.S. Department of Agriculture:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 105 initiatives supported
every renewable energy source in our analysis, with a large majority
of its initiatives supporting bioenergy, as figure 5 demonstrates.
Moreover, figure 6 shows that about half of USDA's initiatives
targeted bioenergy exclusively, with a smaller number of initiatives
targeted to other energy sources or multiple energy sources.
Alternatively, figure 7 shows that USDA's initiatives generally
supported either private sector recipients alone or recipients in both
the public and private sectors, and figure 8 indicates that USDA's
initiatives were distributed across several federal roles, with a much
smaller percentage of initiatives in the regulation, permitting, and
compliance federal role.
Figure 5: Number of USDA Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 87.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 33.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 17.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 15.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 31.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 32.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of USDA initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources. Also, this figure
does not include one initiative for which we could not determine the
applicable renewable energy sources based on the data USDA provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 6: Number of Energy Sources Supported by USDA Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 50;
Waste Conversion: 3;
Solar: 2;
Wind: 2;
Geothermal: 1;
Total: 58.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 32.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 14.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure does not include one initiative for which we could
not determine the applicable renewable energy sources based on the
data USDA provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 7: Percentage of USDA Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 47%;
Both public and private: 42%;
Public only: 11%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 105 USDA
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 8: Percentage of USDA Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 30%;
Commercialization and deployment: 27%;
Fleets and facilities: 19%;
Regulation, permitting and compliance: 2%;
Other: 23%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 105 USDA
renewable energy initiatives we identified. Percentages do not add to
100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Department of Commerce:
The Department of Commerce's (Commerce) 45 initiatives supported all
of the energy sources in our review, with wind, solar, and bioenergy
supported the most, as figure 9 shows. In addition, figure 10 shows
that roughly half of Commerce's initiatives targeted specific energy
sources, with bioenergy the most commonly targeted energy source.
Commerce initiatives generally supported either private sector
recipients alone or recipients in both the public and private sectors,
as demonstrated in figure 11, while figure 12 shows the initiatives
supported all the key federal roles in our review, with the highest
percentage supporting fleets and facilities.
Figure 9: Number of Commerce Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 29.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 15.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 15.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 18.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 23.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 16.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 25.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of Commerce initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 10: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Commerce Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 13;
Waste Conversion: 1;
Hydropower: 1;
Solar: 3;
Ocean: 1;
Wind: 3;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 22.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 7.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 16.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 11: Percentage of Commerce Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 47%;
Both public and private: 38%;
Public only: 16%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 45 Commerce
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private. Percentages do not add to 100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Figure 12: Percentage of Commerce Initiatives by Federal Role and
Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 27%;
Commercialization and deployment: 13%;
Fleets and facilities: 33%;
Regulation, permitting and compliance: 7%;
Other: 20%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 45
Commerce renewable energy initiatives we identified.
[End of figure]
Department of Defense, Air Force:
The Air Force's 17 initiatives supported all of the energy sources in
our review, with solar energy supported more than any other source, as
figure 13 shows. Figure 14 demonstrates that the majority of the Air
Force initiatives supported more than one energy source, while figure
15 shows that most initiatives supported recipients in both the public
and private sectors. As shown in figure 16, half of the Air Force
initiatives supported the research and development federal role and
most of the other Air Force initiatives supported fleets and
facilities.
Figure 13: Number of Air Force Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 9.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 12.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 2.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of Air Force initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources. Also, this figure
does not include one initiative for which we could not determine the
applicable renewable energy sources based on the data the Air Force
provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 14: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Air Force Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 3;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 2;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 5.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 7.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 4.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure does not include one initiative for which we could
not determine the applicable renewable energy sources based on the
data the Air Force provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 15: Percentage of Air Force Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 38%;
Both public and private: 63%.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for 16 of the 17
Air Force renewable energy initiatives we identified. The figure does
not include one initiative for which we could not determine the
applicable recipients based on the data the Air Force provided. We
generally classified governmental recipients as public and
nongovernmental recipients as private. Percentages do not add to 100
due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Figure 16: Percentage of Air Force Initiatives by Federal Role and
Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 50%;
Fleets and facilities: 44%;
Other: 6%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for 16 of the 17
Air Force renewable energy initiatives we identified. The figure does
not include one initiative for which we could not determine the
applicable federal role based on the data the Air Force provided.
[End of figure]
Department of Defense, Army:
The Army's 30 initiatives supported every renewable energy source in
our analysis, with solar, bioenergy, and waste conversion receiving
the most support, as figure 17 shows. In addition, as figure 18 shows,
more than half of the Army's initiatives supported multiple energy
sources, with solar energy receiving the most support from targeted
initiatives. As figure 19 demonstrates, 60 percent of the Army's
initiatives supported private sector recipients alone. Moreover, the
vast majority of the Army's initiatives supported two federal roles,
shown in figure 20, with more than half supporting research and
development and almost one-third supporting fleets and facilities
efforts.
Figure 17: Number of Army Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 15.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 13.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 10.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 8.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 19.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 10.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of Army initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources. Also, this figure
does not include one initiative for which we could not determine the
applicable renewable energy sources based on the data the Army
provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 18: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Army Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 3;
Waste Conversion: 1;
Hydropower: 2;
Solar: 7;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 13.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 7.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 9.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure does not include one initiative for which we could
not determine the applicable renewable energy sources based on the
data the Army provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 19: Percentage of Army Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 60%;
Both public and private: 30%;
Public only: 10%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 30 Army
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 20: Percentage of Army Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 53%;
Fleets and facilities: 30%;
Regulation, permitting and compliance: 3%;
Other: 13%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 30 Army
renewable energy initiatives we identified. Percentages do not add to
100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Department of Defense, Marine Corps:
The Marine Corps' 12 initiatives supported all of the energy sources
in our review, with solar power supported by the largest number of
initiatives, as figure 21 demonstrates. Figure 22 shows that more than
half of the Marine Corps initiatives did not target a specific energy
source, with those that did target a single source focusing on solar
and bioenergy. Almost 60 percent of the initiatives supported
recipients in the private sector only, as seen in figure 23, and
almost all of the initiatives supported the federal roles of fleets
and facilities as well as research and development, as shown in figure
24.
Figure 21: Number of Marine Corps Initiatives Supporting Each
Renewable Energy Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 2.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 10.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of Marine Corps initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 22: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Marine Corps
Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 2;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 3;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 5.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 3.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 4.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 23: Percentage of Marine Corps Initiatives Supporting Private
or Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 58%;
Both public and private: 33%;
Public only: 8%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 12 Marine
Corps renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally
classified governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental
recipients as private. Percentages do not add to 100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Figure 24: Percentage of Marine Corps Initiatives by Federal Role and
Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 33%;
Fleets and facilities: 58%;
Other: 8%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 12
Marine Corps renewable energy initiatives we identified. Percentages
do not add to 100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Department of Defense, Navy:
The Navy's 16 initiatives primarily supported solar, bioenergy, and
geothermal power, as figure 25 shows. Although more than half the Navy
initiatives supported more than one energy source, most of its
targeted initiatives focused on bioenergy, as figure 26 indicates. In
addition, figure 27 shows that half of the Navy initiatives supported
recipients in the private sector alone, while the other half supported
recipients in both the public and private sectors. The Navy
initiatives were distributed primarily across two federal roles, shown
in figure 28, with fleets and facilities supported by more than 50
percent of initiatives and research and development supported by most
of the rest.
Figure 25: Number of Navy Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 3.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 7.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of Navy initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources. Also, this figure
does not include two initiatives for which we could not determine the
applicable renewable energy sources based on the data the Navy
provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 26: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Navy Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 4;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 0;
Ocean: 1;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 1;
Total: 6.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 6.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 2.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure does not include two initiatives for which we could
not determine the applicable renewable energy sources based on the
data the Navy provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 27: Percentage of Navy Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 50%;
Both public and private: 50%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for 14 of the 16
Navy renewable energy initiatives we identified. The figure does not
include two initiatives for which we could not determine the
applicable recipients based on the data the Navy provided. We
generally classified governmental recipients as public and
nongovernmental recipients as private.
[End of figure]
Figure 28: Percentage of Navy Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 40%;
Fleets and facilities: 53%;
Other: 7%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for 15 of the 16
Navy renewable energy initiatives we identified. The figure does not
include one initiative for which we could not determine the applicable
federal role based on the data the Navy provided.
[End of figure]
Department of Defense, Other Department of Defense Components:
The other Department of Defense (DOD) components' 41 initiatives
supported all of the energy sources in our review, as figure 29
demonstrates, although solar and bioenergy received the most support.
These two energy sources were also targeted the most by initiatives
that supported a single energy source, as figure 30 shows. In
addition, figure 31 shows that about two-thirds of the other DOD
components' initiatives were targeted to the private sector alone. The
other DOD component initiatives were fairly evenly split between the
two federal roles of research and development and fleets and
facilities, as figure 32 demonstrates.
Figure 29: Number of Other DOD Component Initiatives Supporting Each
Renewable Energy Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 19.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 8.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 3.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 23.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 7.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 7.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of other DOD component initiatives
because some initiatives supported multiple energy sources. Also, this
figure does not include one initiative for which we could not
determine the applicable renewable energy sources based on the data
DOD provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 30: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Other DOD Component
Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 11;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 1;
Solar: 13;
Ocean: 4;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 24.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 6.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 5.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure does not include one initiative for which we could
not determine the applicable renewable energy sources based on the
data DOD provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 31: Percentage of Other DOD Component Initiatives Supporting
Private or Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 68%;
Both public and private: 22%;
Public only: 10%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 41 other
DOD component renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally
classified governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental
recipients as private.
[End of figure]
Figure 32: Percentage of Other DOD Component Initiatives by Federal
Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 46%;
Fleets and facilities: 44%;
Commercialization and deployment: 2%;
Other: 7%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 41 other
DOD component renewable energy initiatives we identified. Percentages
do not add to 100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Department of Energy:
The Department of Energy's (DOE) 92 initiatives supported every
renewable energy source in our review, as demonstrated in figure 33.
Most DOE initiatives supported more than a single energy source; among
initiatives targeting a single energy source, solar and bioenergy were
most commonly supported, as shown in figure 34. In addition, figure 35
demonstrates that more than 70 percent of DOE's initiatives supported
both the public and private sectors. Figure 36 shows that DOE's
initiatives were distributed across multiple federal roles, with the
largest percentage of the agency's initiatives supporting research and
development.
Figure 33: Number of DOE Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 45.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 20.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 28.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 32.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 44.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 16.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 39.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of DOE initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources. Also, this figure
does not include 15 initiatives for which we could not determine the
applicable renewable energy sources based on the data DOE provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 34: Number of Energy Sources Supported by DOE Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 11;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 5;
Solar: 10;
Ocean: 1;
Wind: 4;
Geothermal: 4;
Total: 35.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 17.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 25.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure does not include 15 initiatives for which we could
not determine the applicable renewable energy sources based on the
data DOE provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 35: Percentage of DOE Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 22%;
Both public and private: 71%;
Public only: 8%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 92 DOE
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private. Percentages do not add to 100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Figure 36: Percentage of DOE Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 55%;
Fleets and facilities: 11%;
Commercialization and deployment: 16%;
Other: 17%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 92 DOE
renewable energy initiatives we identified. Percentages do not add to
100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Department of Homeland Security:
The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) 18 initiatives primarily
supported three renewable energy sources--bioenergy, solar, and wind--
as figure 37 shows. DHS's initiatives were evenly split between those
that supported more than one source and those that targeted a single
source, with bioenergy and solar targeted the most by initiatives that
supported a single energy source, as shown in figure 38. Two-thirds of
DHS's initiatives supported recipients in the private sector alone, as
figure 39 indicates. Moreover, figure 40 shows that the majority of
DHS's initiatives supported fleets and facilities.
Figure 37: Number of DHS Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 10.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 3.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 10.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 3.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 9.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of DHS initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 38: Number of Energy Sources Supported by DHS Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 4;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 4;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 1;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 9.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 6.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 3.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 39: Percentage of DHS Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 67%;
Both public and private: 22%;
Public only: 11%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 18 DHS
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 40: Percentage of DHS Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 17%;
Fleets and facilities: 78%;
Regulation, permitting and compliance: 6%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 18 DHS
renewable energy initiatives we identified. Percentages do not add to
100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Department of Housing and Urban Development:
The Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) 13 initiatives
supported 3 of the 7 energy sources in our review, as figure 41 shows.
In addition, figure 42 shows that most HUD initiatives supported
multiple energy sources. Figure 43 demonstrates that most of HUD's
initiatives supported either private or public sector recipients with
fewer initiatives supporting both. Three-fourths of HUD's initiatives
supported commercialization and deployment, with the remainder
supporting fleet and facilities efforts, as shown in figure 44.
Figure 41: Number of HUD Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 9.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 8.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of HUD initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources. Also, this figure
does not include four initiatives for which we could not determine the
applicable renewable energy sources based on the data HUD provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 42: Number of Energy Sources Supported by HUD Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 0;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 1;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 1.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 2.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 6.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure does not include four initiatives for which we could
not determine the applicable renewable energy sources based on the
data HUD provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 43: Percentage of HUD Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 33%;
Both public and private: 22%;
Public only: 44%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for 9 of the 13 HUD
renewable energy initiatives we identified. The figure does not
include four initiatives for which we could not determine the
applicable recipients based on the data HUD provided. We generally
classified governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental
recipients as private. Percentages do not add to 100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Figure 44: Percentage of HUD Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Commercialization and deployment: 77%;
Fleets and facilities: 23%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 13 HUD
renewable energy initiatives we identified.
[End of figure]
Department of the Interior:
The Department of the Interior's (Interior) 82 initiatives supported
all of the renewable energy sources in our review, with wind and solar
power supported the most, as figure 45 shows. Nearly half of
Interior's initiatives were targeted to a single energy source,
although that energy source varied, as figure 46 demonstrates. Figure
47 shows that more than half of Interior's initiatives supported both
private and public sector recipients, and figure 48 indicates that the
initiatives were distributed across all of the key federal roles, with
more than half supporting the roles of regulation, permitting, and
compliance and fleets and facilities.
Figure 45: Number of Interior Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 28.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 11.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 34.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 29.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 43.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 21.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 45.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of Interior initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 46: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Interior Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 13;
Waste Conversion: 1;
Hydropower: 12;
Solar: 4;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 5;
Geothermal: 3;
Total: 38.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 17.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 27.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 47: Percentage of Interior Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 32%;
Both public and private: 54%;
Public only: 15%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 82 Interior
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private. Percentages do not add to 100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Figure 48: Percentage of Interior Initiatives by Federal Role and
Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 17%;
Fleets and facilities: 24%;
Regulation, permitting and compliance: 29%;
Commercialization and deployment: 17%;
Other: 12%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 82
Interior renewable energy initiatives we identified. Percentages do
not add to 100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Department of Justice:
The Department of Justice's (Justice) 14 initiatives supported 5 of
the 7 energy sources in our review, with bioenergy receiving the most
support and targeted most often, as figures 49 and 50 show,
respectively. In addition, figures 51 and 52, respectively,
demonstrate that almost all of Justice's initiatives supported private
sector recipients alone and the federal role of fleets and facilities.
Figure 49: Number of Justice Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 10.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 5.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of Justice initiatives because some
initiatives supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 50: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Justice Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 8;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 1;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 1;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 10.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 3.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 1.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 51: Percentage of Justice Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 93%;
Both public and private: 7%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 14 Justice
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 52: Percentage of Justice Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Fleets and facilities: 93%;
Other: 7%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 14
Justice renewable energy initiatives we identified.
[End of figure]
Department of Labor:
The Department of Labor's (Labor) 16 initiatives were fairly evenly
distributed in their support of energy sources and most initiatives
supported all 7 energy sources in our review, as shown in figures 53
and 54, respectively. Figure 55 shows that more than two-thirds of
Labor's initiatives supported recipients in the private sector, and
more than 80 percent of them supported efforts outside of the four key
federal roles in our review, with the rest supporting fleets and
facilities, as shown in figure 56.
Figure 53: Number of Labor Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 14.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 12.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 12.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 12.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 13.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 12.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 15.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of Labor initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 54: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Labor Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 1;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 0;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 2;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 3.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 1.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 12.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 55: Percentage of Labor Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 69%;
Both public and private: 25%;
Public only: 6%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 16 Labor
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 56: Percentage of Labor Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Fleets and facilities: 81%;
Other: 19%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 16 Labor
renewable energy initiatives we identified.
[End of figure]
Department of State:
The Department of State's (State) 20 initiatives provided support for
all of the energy sources in our review, as figure 57 demonstrates.
Figure 58 shows that all of State's five targeted initiatives
supported bioenergy, with the rest of the initiatives supporting
multiple sources. Figure 59 shows that State's initiatives supported a
mix of public and private sector recipients or both, while figure 60
demonstrates that 60 percent of State's initiatives supported efforts
outside of the four key federal roles in our analysis, such as
training and capacity building.
Figure 57: Number of State Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 14.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 8.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 9.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 9.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 12.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 11.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of State initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources. Also, this figure
does not include one initiative for which we could not determine the
applicable renewable energy sources based on the data State provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 58: Number of Energy Sources Supported by State Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 5;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 0;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 5.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 7.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 7.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure does not include one initiative for which we could
not determine the applicable renewable energy sources based on the
data State provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 59: Percentage of State Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 42%;
Both public and private: 32%;
Public only: 26%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for 19 of the 20
State renewable energy initiatives we identified. The figure does not
include one initiative for which we could not determine the applicable
recipients based on the data State provided. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 60: Percentage of State Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Fleets and facilities: 20%;
Commercialization and deployment: 20%;
Other: 60%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 20 State
renewable energy initiatives we identified.
Department of Transportation:
The Department of Transportation's (DOT) 36 initiatives supported all
of the initiatives in our review, with bioenergy supported most often,
as shown in figure 61. In addition, almost all of the 17 targeted
initiatives supported bioenergy, although a majority of DOT's
initiatives supported more than one energy source, as demonstrated in
figure 62. Initiatives also supported both public and private sector
recipients, as figure 63 shows, with private sector recipients alone
supported by 50 percent of the initiatives. In addition, figure 64
demonstrates that DOT's initiatives were distributed across all four
of the main federal roles in our review.
Figure 61: Number of DOT Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 28.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 3.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 13.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 16.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 16.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of DOT initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 62: Number of Energy Sources Supported by DOT Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 14;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 2;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 1;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 17.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 9.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 10.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 63: Percentage of DOT Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 50%;
Both public and private: 31%;
Public only: 19%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 36 DOT
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 64: Percentage of DOT Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Research and development: 33%;
Fleets and facilities: 22%;
Commercialization and deployment: 31%;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: 6%;
Other: 8%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 36 DOT
renewable energy initiatives we identified.
Department of the Treasury:
The Department of the Treasury's (Treasury) 31 initiatives supported
all the energy sources in our review, with bioenergy most commonly
supported by initiatives and more than a third of initiatives targeted
bioenergy exclusively, as shown in figures 65 and 66, respectively.
Figure 67 shows that two-thirds of Treasury's initiatives supported
private sector recipients alone. Nearly three-fourths of Treasury's
initiatives supported the federal role of commercialization and
deployment, as demonstrated in figure 68.
Figure 65: Number of Treasury Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 26.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 13.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 13.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 12.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 15.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 10.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 16.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of Treasury initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 66: Number of Energy Sources Supported by Treasury Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 12;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 1;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 2;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 15.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 4.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 12.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 67: Percentage of Treasury Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 68%;
Both public and private: 29%;
Public only: 3%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 31 Treasury
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 68: Percentage of Treasury Initiatives by Federal Role and
Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Fleets and facilities: 19%;
Commercialization and deployment: 74%;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: 3%;
Other: 3%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 31
Treasury renewable energy initiatives we identified. Percentages do
not add to 100 due to rounding.
[End of figure]
Environmental Protection Agency:
Figure 69 demonstrates that most of the Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) 22 initiatives supported bioenergy, while a smaller
number supported all other energy sources in our review except for
ocean energy. Half of EPA's initiatives supported a single energy
source, with bioenergy the most targeted source, as figure 70 shows.
Figure 71 demonstrates that half of EPA's initiatives supported
recipients in the private sector alone, with most of the rest
supporting both public and private sector recipients. Figure 72 shows
that EPA's initiatives supported all four key federal roles.
Figure 69: Number of EPA Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 19.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 10.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 5.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of EPA initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 70: Number of Energy Sources Supported by EPA Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 10;
Waste Conversion: 1;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 0;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 11.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 6.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 5.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 71: Percentage of EPA Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 50%;
Both public and private: 45%;
Public only: 5%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 22 EPA
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 72: Percentage of EPA Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Fleets and facilities: 14%;
Commercialization and deployment: 23%;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: 27%;
Research and development: 27%;
Other: 9%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 22 EPA
renewable energy initiatives we identified.
[End of figure]
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission:
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) seven initiatives
provided support for five of the seven energy sources with wind and
solar power supported the most, as figure 73 shows. Three FERC
initiatives each targeted a single source, shown in figure 74, while
the other FERC initiatives supported between two and three energy
sources each. More than half of FERC's initiatives supported private
sector recipients alone, as shown in figure 75, while figure 76 shows
more than 40 percent of initiatives supported the regulation,
permitting, and compliance federal role with the rest evenly split
between research and development and fleets and facilities.
Figure 73: Number of FERC Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 2.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 3.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of FERC initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 74: Number of Energy Sources Supported by FERC Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 1;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 1;
Solar: 1;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 3.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 4.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 0.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 75: Percentage of FERC Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 57%;
Both public and private: 29%;
Public only: 14%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the seven FERC
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 76: Percentage of FERC Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Fleets and facilities: 29%;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: 43%;
Research and development: 29%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the seven
FERC renewable energy initiatives we identified. Percentages do not
add to 100 due to rounding.
General Services Administration:
The General Services Administration's (GSA) nine initiatives were
generally evenly distributed across the five energy sources that they
supported with waste conversion supported less commonly, as shown in
figure 77. Of the four initiatives that targeted a single source,
figure 78 demonstrates that three supported bioenergy. Figure 79 shows
that more than half of GSA's initiatives supported private sector
recipients alone. In addition, figure 80 demonstrates that most GSA
initiatives supported fleets and facilities, with the rest supporting
research and development.
Figure 77: Number of GSA Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 5.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 5.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of GSA initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 78: Number of Energy Sources Supported by GSA Initiatives:
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 3;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 0;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 1;
Total: 4.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 4.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 1.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 79: Percentage of GSA Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 56%;
Both public and private: 22%;
Public only: 22%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the nine GSA
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 80: Percentage of GSA Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Fleets and facilities: 78%;
Research and development: 22%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the nine GSA
renewable energy initiatives we identified.
[End of figure]
National Aeronautics and Space Administration:
Figure 81 shows that the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration's (NASA) 12 initiatives supported 5 of the 7 energy
sources in our review, with solar power supported most commonly. Three
of NASA's four targeted initiatives provided support for solar power,
as figure 82 shows. In addition, figure 83 shows that two-thirds of
NASA's initiatives supported private sector recipients alone. More
than 60 percent of NASA's initiatives supported the fleets and
facilities federal role, with the rest supporting research and
development, as demonstrated in figure 84.
Figure 81: Number of NASA Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 4.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 7.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 0.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 3.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of NASA initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources. Also, this figure
does not include three initiatives for which we could not determine
the applicable renewable energy sources based on the data NASA
provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 82: Number of Energy Sources Supported by NASA Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: Stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 1;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 3;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 4.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 5.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 0.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure does not include three initiatives for which we
could not determine the applicable renewable energy sources based on
the data NASA provided.
[End of figure]
Figure 83: Percentage of NASA Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 67%;
Both public and private: 22%;
Public only: 11%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for 9 of the 12
NASA renewable energy initiatives we identified. The figure does not
include three initiatives for which we could not determine the
applicable recipients based on the data NASA provided. We generally
classified governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental
recipients as private.
[End of figure]
Figure 84: Percentage of NASA Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Fleets and facilities: 67%;
Research and development: 33%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the federal roles for 9 of the 12
NASA renewable energy initiatives we identified. The figure does not
include three initiatives for which we could not determine the
applicable federal role based on the data NASA provided.
[End of figure]
National Science Foundation:
Figure 85 shows that the National Science Foundation's (NSF) nine
initiatives supported all of the energy sources in our review with
solar, wind, and bioenergy receiving the most support. Most
initiatives supported more than one energy source, as figure 86
demonstrates. In addition, figures 87 and 88, respectively, show that
all of the initiatives supported only private sector recipients, with
almost 90 percent supporting the federal role of research and
development.[Footnote 55]
Figure 85: Number of NSF Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 5.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 3.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 1.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 2.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 8.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 2.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 5.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of NSF initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
Figure 86: Number of Energy Sources Supported by NSF Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 0;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 1;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 1;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 2.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 4.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 3.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 87: Percentage of NSF Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 100%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the nine NSF
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 88: Percentage of NSF Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Fleets and facilities: 11%;
Research and development: 89%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the nine NSF
renewable energy initiatives we identified.
[End of figure]
Small Business Administration:
The Small Business Administration's (SBA) seven initiatives were
fairly evenly distributed in their support for energy sources in our
review and most supported multiple energy sources, as figures 89 and
90, respectively, show. Figure 91 demonstrates that a majority of SBA
initiatives supported private sector recipients, while figure 92 shows
that more than half supported efforts outside of the four key federal
roles in our review.
Figure 89: Number of SBA Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable Energy
Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 7.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 6.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of SBA initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 90: Number of Energy Sources Supported by SBA Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 1;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 0;
Solar: 0;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 0;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 1.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 0.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 6.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 91: Percentage of SBA Initiatives Supporting Private or Public
Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 57%;
Both public and private: 43%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the seven SBA
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 92: Percentage of SBA Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Fleets and facilities: 14%;
Commercialization and deployment: 29%;
Other: 57%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the seven SBA
renewable energy initiatives we identified.
[End of figure]
U.S. Agency for International Development:
Figure 93 shows that the U.S. Agency for International Development's
(USAID) 25 initiatives most commonly supported hydropower, solar, and
wind energy. Also, a majority of USAID's initiatives supported more
than one energy source, as shown in figure 94. Figure 95 demonstrates
that more than 50 percent of USAID's initiatives supported both public
and private sector recipients. Figure 96 shows that a large majority
of USAID initiatives supported efforts outside of the four key federal
roles in our review, such as training and capacity building.
Figure 93: Number of USAID Initiatives Supporting Each Renewable
Energy Source:
[Refer to PDF for image: vertical bar graph]
Energy Source: Bioenergy;
Number of initiatives: 12.
Energy Source: Waste conversion;
Number of initiatives: 8.
Energy Source: Geothermal;
Number of initiatives: 8.
Energy Source: Hydropower;
Number of initiatives: 19.
Energy Source: Solar;
Number of initiatives: 18.
Energy Source: Ocean;
Number of initiatives: 7.
Energy Source: Wind;
Number of initiatives: 17.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: The sum of the initiatives across the renewable energy sources
adds to more than the total number of USAID initiatives because
initiatives often supported multiple energy sources.
[End of figure]
Figure 94: Number of Energy Sources Supported by USAID Initiatives:
[Refer to PDF for image: stacked vertical bar graph]
Number of energy sources supported: 1;
Bioenergy: 0;
Waste Conversion: 0;
Hydropower: 3;
Solar: 2;
Ocean: 0;
Wind: 1;
Geothermal: 0;
Total: 6.
Number of energy sources supported: 2 to 3;
Multiple: 10.
Number of energy sources supported: 4 to 7;
Multiple: 9.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
[End of figure]
Figure 95: Percentage of USAID Initiatives Supporting Private or
Public Sector Recipients, or Both:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Private only: 28%;
Both public and private: 56%;
Public only: 16%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Notes: This figure provides data on the recipients for the 25 USAID
renewable energy initiatives we identified. We generally classified
governmental recipients as public and nongovernmental recipients as
private.
[End of figure]
Figure 96: Percentage of USAID Initiatives by Federal Role and Other:
[Refer to PDF for image: pie-chart]
Commercialization and deployment: 20%;
Other: 80%.
Source: GAO analysis of agency data.
Note: This figure provides data on the federal roles for the 25 USAID
renewable energy initiatives we identified.
[End of figure]
Agencies' Initiatives across the Four Key Federal Roles, by Energy
Source:
Table 8 provides information on agencies' initiatives that support
bioenergy across the four key federal roles. As shown in the table,
the research and development and fleets and facilities federal roles
have the most initiatives targeted on bioenergy specifically, while
agencies' commercialization and deployment initiatives that support
bioenergy often support other renewable energy sources as well.
Table 8: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Bioenergy across
the Four Key Federal Roles:
Commerce: [Empty].
Agency: Commerce;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 4;
Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 9;
Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 4;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Air Force;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 2;
Supports multiple sources: 3;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Army;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 2;
Supports multiple sources: 5;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Marine Corps;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Navy;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 3;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Other DOD;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 4;
Supports multiple sources: 3;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 6;
Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DHS;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 4;
Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOE;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 9;
Supports multiple sources: 10;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 2;
Supports multiple sources: 7;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 10;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOT;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 8;
Supports multiple sources: 3;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 2;
Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 10;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: EPA;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 4;
Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 4;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 5;
Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: FERC;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: GSA;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 3;
Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: HUD;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Interior;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 4;
Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 7;
Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 2;
Supports multiple sources: 4;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 2.
Agency: Justice;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 8;
Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Labor;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NASA;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NSF;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 5;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: SBA;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: State;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Treasury;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 3;
Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 8;
Supports multiple sources: 12;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 1;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USAID;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USDA;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 20;
Supports multiple sources: 8;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 8;
Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 11;
Supports multiple sources: 14;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 0;
Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Total;
Research and development:
Targeted on bioenergy: 62;
Supports multiple sources: 46;
Fleets and facilities:
Targeted on bioenergy: 61;
Supports multiple sources: 40;
Commercialization and deployment:
Targeted on bioenergy: 22;
Supports multiple sources: 66;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance:
Targeted on bioenergy: 7;
Supports multiple sources: 5.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Note: This table does not include data for 22 initiatives for which we
identified a federal role, but could not determine the applicable
renewable energy sources based on the responses received from the
following agencies: the Army (1), DOE (15), HUD (4), the Navy (1), and
USDA (1).
[End of table]
Table 9 provides information on agencies' initiatives that support
solar energy across the four key federal roles. As shown in the table,
the research and development federal role has the most initiatives
targeted on solar energy specifically. Agencies' fleets and facilities
and commercialization and deployment initiatives generally support
solar energy along with other energy sources.
Table 9: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Solar Energy
across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Agency: Commerce;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 2;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Air Force;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 2;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Army;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 6;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Marine Corps;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Navy;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 5;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Other DOD;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 8;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 5;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DHS;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 3;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 5;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOE;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 6;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 11;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 7;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 8;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOT;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 11;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: EPA;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: FERC;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: GSA;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: HUD;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 8;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Interior;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 10;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 7;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 13.
Agency: Justice;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Labor;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NASA;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 2;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NSF;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 7;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: SBA;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: State;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Treasury;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 13;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USAID;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USDA;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 8;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 9;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: Total;
Research and development: Targeted on solar: 29;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 46;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on solar: 19;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 78;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on solar: 5;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 70;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on solar: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 18.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Note: This table does not include data for 22 initiatives for which we
identified a federal role, but could not determine the applicable
renewable energy sources based on the responses received from the
following agencies: the Army (1), DOE (15), HUD (4), the Navy (1), and
USDA (1).
[End of table]
Table 10 provides information on agencies' initiatives that support
wind energy across the four key federal roles. As shown in the table,
agencies' initiatives generally do not target wind energy
specifically. Rather, agencies' initiatives tend to support wind
energy along with other energy sources across the four key federal
roles.
Table 10: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Wind Energy
across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Agency: Commerce;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 5;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Air Force;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Army;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Marine Corps;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Navy;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Other DOD;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 5;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DHS;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOE;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 2;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 9;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 8;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 8;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOT;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 11;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: EPA;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: FERC;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: GSA;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: HUD;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 8;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Interior;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 10;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 14.
Agency: Justice;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Labor;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NASA;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NSF;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: SBA;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: State;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Treasury;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 12;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USAID;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USDA;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 8;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 9;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: Total;
Research and development: Targeted on wind: 5;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 37;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on wind: 10;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 70;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on wind: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 68;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on wind: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 20.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Note: This table does not include data for 22 initiatives for which we
identified a federal role, but could not determine the applicable
renewable energy sources based on the responses received from the
following agencies: the Army (1), DOE (15), HUD (4), the Navy (1), and
USDA (1).
[End of table]
Table 11 provides information on agencies' initiatives that support
geothermal energy across the four key federal roles. As shown in the
table, most agencies' geothermal energy initiatives are fleets and
facilities or commercialization and deployment initiatives that
support geothermal energy along with other energy sources.
Table 11: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Geothermal
Energy across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Agency: Commerce;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Air Force;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 5;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Army;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 5;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Marine Corps;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Navy;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Other DOD;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DHS;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOE;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 4;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 5;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 7;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOT;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 11;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: EPA;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: FERC;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: GSA;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: HUD;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Interior;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 13.
Agency: Justice;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Labor;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NASA;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NSF;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: SBA;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: State;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Treasury;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 12;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USAID;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USDA;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 8;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Total;
Research and development: Targeted on geothermal: 6;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 12;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on geothermal: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 52;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on geothermal: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 61;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on geothermal: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 16.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Note: This table does not include data for 22 initiatives for which we
identified a federal role, but could not determine the applicable
renewable energy sources based on the responses received from the
following agencies: the Army (1), DOE (15), HUD (4), the Navy (1), and
USDA (1).
[End of table]
Table 12 provides information on agencies' initiatives that support
waste conversion across the four key federal roles. As shown in the
table, the commercialization and deployment role has the most
initiatives supporting waste conversion, and agencies' initiatives
tend to support waste conversion along with other energy sources
across the four key federal roles.
Table 12: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Waste
Conversion across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Agency: Commerce;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Air Force;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Army;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 5;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Marine Corps;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Navy;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Other DOD;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DHS;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOE;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 7;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOT;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: EPA;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: FERC;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: GSA;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: HUD;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Interior;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: Justice;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Labor;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NASA;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NSF;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: SBA;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: State;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Treasury;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 12;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USAID;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USDA;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 13;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Total;
Research and development: Targeted on waste conversion: 2;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 35;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on waste conversion: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 25;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on waste conversion: 5;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 48;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on waste conversion:
0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 4.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Note: This table does not include data for 22 initiatives for which we
identified a federal role, but could not determine the applicable
renewable energy sources based on the responses received from the
following agencies: the Army (1), DOE (15), HUD (4), the Navy (1), and
USDA (1).
[End of table]
Table 13 provides information on agencies' initiatives that support
hydropower across the four key federal roles. As shown in the table,
the commercialization and deployment role has the most initiatives
supporting hydropower, and the majority of hydropower initiatives
across the four roles support other sources as well.
Table 13: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Hydropower
across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Agency: Commerce;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Air Force;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Army;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Marine Corps;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Navy;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Other DOD;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DHS;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOE;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 6;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 8;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOT;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: EPA;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: FERC;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: GSA;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: HUD;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Interior;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 3;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 2;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 5.
Agency: Justice;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Labor;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NASA;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NSF;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: SBA;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: State;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Treasury;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 11;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USAID;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USDA;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 7;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: Total;
Research and development: Targeted on hydropower: 4;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 15;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on hydropower: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 16;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on hydropower: 4;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 40;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on hydropower: 5;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 10.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Notes: This table does not include data for 22 initiatives for which
we identified a federal role, but could not determine the applicable
renewable energy sources based on the responses received from the
following agencies: the Army (1), DOE (15), HUD (4), the Navy (1), and
USDA (1). In addition, some agencies implemented initiatives that
provided important support for hydropower, such the energy generated
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' and Bureau of Reclamation's
hydroelectric facilities. These activities were classified in our
"other" category and are not included in the table, which focuses on
the four key federal roles.
[End of table]
Table 14 provides information on agencies' initiatives that support
ocean energy across the four key federal roles. As shown in the table,
the commercialization and deployment role has the most initiatives
supporting ocean energy, and the majority of ocean energy initiatives
across the four roles support other sources as well.
Table 14: Number of Agencies' Initiatives That Support Ocean Energy
across the Four Key Federal Roles:
Agency: Commerce;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 5;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Air Force;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Army;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOD: Marine Corps;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOD: Navy;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Other DOD;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 4;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DHS;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: DOE;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 1;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 5;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: DOT;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: EPA;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: FERC;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 1.
Agency: GSA;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: HUD;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Interior;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 12.
Agency: Justice;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Labor;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NASA;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: NSF;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: SBA;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 2;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: State;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Treasury;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 9;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USAID;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: USDA;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 1;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 3;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 0.
Agency: Total;
Research and development: Targeted on ocean: 6;
Research and development: Supports multiple sources: 17;
Fleets and facilities: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Fleets and facilities: Supports multiple sources: 8;
Commercialization and deployment: Targeted on ocean: 0;
Commercialization and deployment: Supports multiple sources: 27;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Targeted on ocean: 1;
Regulation, permitting, and compliance: Supports multiple sources: 16.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
Note: This table does not include data for 22 initiatives for which we
identified a federal role, but could not determine the applicable
renewable energy sources based on the responses received from the
following agencies: the Army (1), DOE (15), HUD (4), the Navy (1), and
USDA (1).
[End of table]
[End of section]
Appendix III: Agency Information on the Extent to Which the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Established, Expanded, or
Modified Initiatives:
This appendix provides information on the extent to which the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) established,
expanded, or modified renewable energy initiatives. Specifically,
agencies reported that the Recovery Act established, expanded, or
modified 157 initiatives--nearly one-quarter of all renewable energy
initiatives governmentwide.[Footnote 56] These effects fall into four
groupings:
* Initiatives that were established by the Recovery Act. Across all of
the agencies in our review, the Recovery Act established 20
initiatives. These initiatives mostly supported the commercialization
and deployment federal role. For example, the Department of the
Treasury's Payments for Specific Energy Property in Lieu of Tax
Credits were established under Section 1603 of the Recovery Act to
provide cash grants to eligible applicants who place specified energy
property--primarily renewable energy systems--in service for use in a
trade or business.[Footnote 57]
* Initiatives that received additional funding under the Recovery Act.
There were 106 initiatives that existed prior to the Recovery Act that
received additional funding for renewable energy activities. Receiving
additional funding was the most commonly experienced type of Recovery
Act effect we identified among the initiatives. Approximately one-
third of these initiatives (36) were implemented by the Department of
Energy, primarily involving research and development of new renewable
energy technologies. A number of Department of Defense fleets and
facilities efforts also received additional funding under the Recovery
Act. In addition, the General Services Administration's efforts to
purchase vehicles for federal agency fleets included a vehicle
replacement program, which received Recovery Act funds for the
purchase of alternative fuel vehicles. Under this program, federal
agencies could exchange existing vehicles for more fuel efficient
models at no cost to them.
* Initiatives that were extended or whose scope was changed by the
Recovery Act. There were 26 initiatives that experienced an extension
or change in their scope of authority under the Recovery Act. More
than 80 percent of these initiatives (21) were implemented by the
departments of Energy or the Treasury. For example, for certain
Department of the Treasury initiatives, the Recovery Act increased the
bond authority available for allocation by the Internal Revenue
Service to support renewable energy activities.
* Initiatives that were indirectly affected by the Recovery Act. There
were 19 initiatives that experienced indirect effects from the
Recovery Act aside from those mentioned above. For example, for some
initiatives, agencies reported that staff workloads increased as a
result of the Recovery Act even though the initiatives did not receive
direct funding from the Recovery Act.
Table 15 shows the initiatives that the Recovery Act affected at each
agency and the type of effects they experienced based on our analysis
of agency-provided data.
Table 15: Initiatives Established, Expanded, or Modified by the
Recovery Act, by Agency:
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Agriculture (11);
Initiative name: Alternative Fuels and Fleet Efficiency Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Recovery Act Wood to Energy Biomass Activity;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Agricultural Research Service Alternative Fuel
Vehicle Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Biomass Crop Assistance Program[A];
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Energy Management Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Farm to Fly: Sustainable Aviation Biofuel;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Forest Service Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acquisition
and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Forest Service-Funded Renewable Power Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Natural Resources Conservation Service Alternative
Fuel Vehicle Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Woody Biomass Utilization Grant Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Commerce (5);
Initiative name: Environmentally-Sustainable Development Investment
Priority;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Licensing Authority for Ocean Thermal Energy
Conversion Facilities;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Measurement Science for Net Zero Energy, High-
Performance Buildings;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: National Institute of Standards and Technology Smart
Grid Research;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: National Institute of Standards and Technology-Funded
Renewable Power Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Defense, Air Force (2);
Initiative name: Air Force Non-tactical Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Air Force Renewable Energy Certificate and/or Direct
Renewable Power Purchases;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Defense, Army (5);
Initiative name: Army Non-tactical Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Army Tactical Equipment Procurement and Deployment;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Army-Funded Small Scale Renewable Power Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Corps Hydropower Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Agency (number of initiatives)Department of Defense,
Marine Corps (2): Permitting Efficiencies for Regulatory Programs;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: Agency (number of
initiatives)Department of Defense, Marine Corps (2): [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: Agency
(number of initiatives)Department of Defense, Marine Corps (2):
[Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: Agency (number
of initiatives)Department of Defense, Marine Corps (2): [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: Agency (number of initiatives)Department of
Defense, Marine Corps (2): [Check].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Defense, Marine Corps
(2);
Initiative name: Marine Corps-Funded Medium Scale Renewable Power
Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Marine Corps-Funded Small Scale Renewable Power
Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Defense, Navy (5);
Initiative name: Alternative Fuels Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Navy Non-tactical Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Navy-Funded Medium Scale Renewable Power Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Navy-Funded Small Scale Renewable Power Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Other Power Generation Research;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Defense, other
Department of Defense components (8);
Initiative name: Defense Logistics Agency Alternative Fuel Development
and Testing;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Defense Logistics Agency Portable Power Generation
Research;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Defense Logistics Agency Renewable Energy Outreach;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Defense Wide Manufacturing Science and Technology
Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Energy Conservation Investment Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Environmental Security Technology Certification
Program - Energy and Water Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: National Security Agency-Funded Small Scale Renewable
Power Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Net Zero Plus Joint Capability Technology
Demonstration Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Energy (49);
Initiative name: Agile Delivery of Electrical Power Technology;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Funding
Opportunity Announcement 1;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Bioenergy Research Centers;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Biomass and Biorefinery Systems Infrastructure;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Bonneville Power Administration Direct Funding;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Bonneville Power Administration Fish and Wildlife;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Bonneville Power Administration Wind Integration;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Clean Energy Transmission and Reliability;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Concentrated Solar Power;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Conventional Hydropower Technology Development;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Conversion Technologies;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Electrofuels;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Emerging Technologies;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Energy Frontier Research Centers;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Enhanced Geothermal Systems;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Feedstocks;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Federal Energy Management Program - Planning,
Reporting and Evaluation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Federal Energy Management Program - Project Financing;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Federal Energy Management Program - Technical
Guidance and Assistance;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Fuel Cell Systems Research & Development;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Funding the work of the Western Governors Association
to identify Western Renewable Energy Zone identification;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Grid-Scale Rampable Intermittent Dispatchable Storage;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Innovative Exploration Technologies;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Integrated Biorefineries;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Low Temperature and Co-Produced Geothermal
Technologies Resources;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
Energy Storage;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
Permitting, Siting, and Analysis;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Photovoltaic Research & Development;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Power Marketing Administrations--Transmission;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Advanced Solar Technology Topic Area;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Catalysis Topic Area;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Geothermal Energy Technology Development Topic
Area;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Novel Membrane and Electrode Development for
Advanced Electrochemical Energy Storage Topic Area;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Production of Biofuels from Cellulosic Biomass
Topic Area;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Technologies for Clean Fuels and Hydrogen from
Coal Topic Area;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Technologies Related to Energy Storage for
Hybrid Plug-in Electric Vehicles Topic Area;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Wind Energy Technology Development Topic Area;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Smart Grid Research and Development;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Solar Decathlon;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: State Energy Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Technology Advancement and Outreach Activities;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Title XVII Section 1705 Loan Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Tribal Energy Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Vehicle Technology Deployment;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Weatherization Assistance Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Wind Energy - Offshore Wind;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Wind Energy - Technology Application;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Wind Energy - Technology Viability;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Homeland Security (7);
Initiative name: Customs and Border Protection Alternative Fuel
Vehicle Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Customs and Border Protection-Funded Renewable Power
Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Immigration and Customs Enforcement Alternative Fuel
Vehicle Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Coast Guard Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acquisition and
Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Coast Guard Third Party-Financed Medium Scale
Renewable Power Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Coast Guard-Funded Medium Scale Renewable Power
Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Coast Guard-Funded Small Scale Renewable Power
Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act:[Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Housing and Urban
Development (3);
Initiative name: Capital Fund Recovery Act Competitive Grant Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Green Retrofit Program for Multifamily Housing;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of the Interior (23);
Initiative name: Bureau of Land Management-Funded Renewable Power
Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Conservation Planning Assistance Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Consultation and Habitat Conservation Planning;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Cooperative Water Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: External Renewable Energy Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: External Renewable Energy Training;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Fish and Wildlife Service Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Fish and Wildlife Service-Funded Renewable Power
Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Hazardous Fuels Reduction Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Housing Improvement Program: Recovery Act Renewable
Energy Projects;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Indian Affairs-Funded Renewable Power Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Interior Renewable Energy Certificate and/or Direct
Renewable Power Purchases;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Interior Renewable Energy Policy Development and
Management;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Klamath Dam Removal Studies;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: National Park Service Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: National Park Service-Funded Renewable Power
Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Recovery Act Renewable Energy Efforts;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Solar Energy Authorizations and Operations on Bureau
of Land Management Public Lands;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: U.S. Geological Survey Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: U.S. Geological Survey Third Party-Financed Renewable
Power Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: U.S. Geological Survey-Funded Renewable Power
Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: WaterSMART Grant program (formerly known as Challenge
Grants);
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Justice (5);
Initiative name: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Drug Enforcement Administration Alternative Fuel
Vehicle Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Federal Bureau of Investigation Alternative Fuel
Vehicle Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Justice Management Division Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: U.S. Marshals Service Alternative Fuel Vehicle
Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Labor (4);
Initiative name: Energy Training Partnership Grant Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Green Capacity Building Grants;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: AState Labor Market Information Improvement Grants;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of Transportation (6);
Initiative name: Federal Aviation Administration Alternative Fuel
Vehicle Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Fixed Guideway Modernization;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Formula Grants for Other than Urbanized Areas;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Major Capital Investments (New Starts & Small Starts);
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy
Reduction;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Urbanized Area Formula Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Department of the Treasury (12);
Initiative name: Accelerated Depreciation Recovery Periods for
Specific Energy Property;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Credit for Clean Fuel Burning Vehicles;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Credit for Clean-Fuel Burning Vehicle Refueling
Property;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Credit for Holding New Clean Renewable Energy Bonds;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Credit for Holding Qualified Energy Conservation
Bonds;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Credit for Residential Energy Efficient Property;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Direct Payment in Lieu of a Credit for Holding New
Clean Renewable Energy Bonds;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Direct Payment in Lieu of a Credit for Holding
Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Energy Investment Credit;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Energy Production Credit;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Payments for Specific Energy Property in Lieu of Tax
Credits;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): General Services Administration (5);
Initiative name: Geothermal Space Conditioning Technology Acceleration
Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Green Proving Ground Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: General Services Administration Fleet Purchasing;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: General Services Administration Renewable Power
Generation Data Collection and Reporting;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: General Services Administration-Funded Renewable
Power Generation;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (1);
Initiative name: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Acquisition and Use;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Agency (number of initiatives): Small Business Administration (4);
Initiative name: Certified Development Company/Section 504 Loans;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Energy Grants for Green Technology;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Check].
Initiative name: Energy Savings Debenture;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Check];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Initiative name: Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps Pilot Program;
Initiative established by Recovery Act: [Check];
Initiative received additional funding from Recovery Act: [Empty];
Initiative extended or scope changed by Recovery Act: [Empty];
Indirect or other impacts: [Empty].
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
[A] The Recovery Act provided the Department of Agriculture with the
authority to use Biomass Crop Assistance Program funds for technical
assistance. However, in commenting on a draft of this report, the
Department of Agriculture indicated that, by the time it needed to use
program funds for technical assistance, this authority had expired and
no program funds were used to provide technical assistance.
[End of table]
[End of section]
Appendix IV: Agency Information on Expiring Initiatives:
This appendix provides information reported by agencies on initiatives
that will or have expired, in full or in part, due to an expiration of
legislative authority, depletion of available appropriations, or some
other expiration under the law as written as of fall of 2011. This
appendix includes information on initiatives that expired before the
start of or during fiscal year 2010, or will expire after fiscal year
2010. However, all of these initiatives met our criteria as fiscal
year 2010 renewable energy initiatives in some way and are included in
the 679 federal renewable energy initiatives for which we provide data
in this report. For example, although the Conservation Security
Program was not re-authorized in the Food, Conservation, and Energy
Act of 2008 and is no longer available, contracts written while the
program was still authorized can span up to 10 years, and some
contracts were still being implemented in fiscal year 2010. Table 16
provides information on these initiatives, including the agencies
implementing them and information reported by the agencies on their
expiration. For additional information on the following initiatives,
including their descriptions and associated renewable energy sources,
federal roles, and recipients, see GAO-12-259SP.
Table 16: Expiring Initiatives:
Department of Agriculture:
Initiative (agency): Recovery Act Wood to Energy Biomass Activity
(Forest Service);
Expiration information: This initiative was established by and ended
with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Initiative (agency): Conservation Security Program (Natural Resources
Conservation Service);
Expiration information: This program no longer exists.
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research Program:
Aquaculture Topic Area (National Institute of Food and Agriculture);
Expiration information: Authorization for these programs is contingent
upon reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Development Act
of 1982, as amended (15 U.S.C. 638).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research Program:
Biofuels and Biobased Products Topic Area (National Institute of Food
and Agriculture);
Expiration information: Authorization for these programs is contingent
upon reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Development Act
of 1982, as amended (15 U.S.C. 638).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research Program:
Forests and Related Resources Topic Area (National Institute of Food
and Agriculture);
Expiration information: Authorization for these programs is contingent
upon reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Development Act
of 1982, as amended (15 U.S.C. 638).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research Program: Plant
Production and Protection-Biology Topic Area (National Institute of
Food and Agriculture);
Expiration information: Authorization for these programs is contingent
upon reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Development Act
of 1982, as amended (15 U.S.C. 638).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research Program: Plant
Production and Protection-Engineering Topic Area (National Institute
of Food and Agriculture);
Expiration information: Authorization for these programs is contingent
upon reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Development Act
of 1982, as amended (15 U.S.C. 638).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research Program: Rural
Development Topic Area (National Institute of Food and Agriculture);
Expiration information: Authorization for these programs is contingent
upon reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Development Act
of 1982, as amended (15 U.S.C. 638).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research Program: Small
and Mid-Size Farms Topic Area (National Institute of Food and
Agriculture); Expiration information: Authorization for these programs
is contingent upon reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation
Development Act of 1982, as amended (15 U.S.C. 638).
Initiative (agency): Community Wood to Energy Program (Forest Service);
Expiration information: Authorization for these programs expires with
the end of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. However,
the Department of Agriculture reported that should funding remain
available after the expiration of the act, it has the authority to
continue program operations based upon existing regulations.
Initiative (agency): Forest Biomass for Energy Competitive Research
and Development Program (Forest Service).
Initiative (agency): Woody Biomass Utilization Grant Program (Forest
Service).
Initiative (agency): Biomass Crop Assistance Program (Farm Service
Agency).
Initiative (agency): Feedstock Flexibility Program for Bioenergy
Producers (Farm Service Agency).
Initiative (agency): New Era Rural Technology Program (National
Institute of Food and Agriculture).
Initiative (agency): Sun Grant Program (National Institute of Food and
Agriculture).
Initiative (agency): Biodiesel Fuel Education Program (National
Institute of Food and Agriculture and Office of the Chief Economist).
Initiative (agency): Biomass Research and Development Initiative
(National Institute of Food and Agriculture).
Initiative (agency): Conservation Innovation Grant Program (Natural
Resources Conservation Service).
Initiative (agency): Environmental Quality Incentives Program (Natural
Resources Conservation Service).
Initiative (agency): Advanced Biofuel Payment Program (Rural Business
Service); Expiration information: [Empty].
Initiative (agency): Biorefinery Assistance Program (Rural Business
Service).
Initiative (agency): Repowering Assistance Program (Rural Business
Service).
Initiative (agency): Rural Energy for America Program (formerly the
Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program)
(Rural Business Service).
Initiative (agency): Digester Project (Office of the Secretary);
Expiration information: These initiatives are implemented through the
other programs in this table that will expire at the end of the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.
Initiative (agency): USDA/Navy Memorandum of Understanding Project
(Office of the Secretary).
Initiative (agency): USDA Energy Coordination and Collaboration
(Office of the Secretary).
Initiative (agency): Farm to Fly: Sustainable Aviation Biofuel (Rural
Business Service); Expiration information: [Empty].
Department of Commerce:
Initiative (agency): Global Climate Change Mitigation Incentive Fund
(Economic Development Administration);
Expiration information: The Global Climate Change Mitigation Incentive
Fund is not a standing program, but rather a congressionally-directed
funding stream, which requires annual submission of a report/spending
plan to Congress summarizing how the funds will be used.
Department of Defense:
Initiative (agency): Net Zero Plus Joint Capability Technology
Demonstration Program (Office of the Secretary of Defense);
Expiration information: This was a one-time demonstration program with
no further appropriations.
Initiative (agency): Defense Production Act Title III Program (Office
of the Secretary of Defense);
Expiration information: Authority to execute Defense Production Act
Title III projects expires September 30, 2014, unless the act is
amended.
Department of Energy:
Initiative (agency): Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Funding
Opportunity Announcement 1 (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy);
Expiration information: The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy's
authorizing legislation, the America Creating Opportunities to
Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science
Reauthorization Act of 2010, was recently extended to until 2013.
Initiative (agency): Agile Delivery of Electrical Power Technology
(Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy).
Initiative (agency): Electrofuels (Advanced Research Projects Agency-
Energy).
Initiative (agency): Grid-Scale Rampable Intermittent Dispatchable
Storage (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy).
Initiative (agency): Hydrogen Fuel R&D (Office of Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy);
Expiration information: The Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007 provide authorization for these
activities through fiscal year 2015 or 2020 depending upon the
activity.
Initiative (agency): Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Crosscutting
Activities (Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy).
Initiative (agency): Fuel Cell Systems R&D (Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy).
Initiative (agency): Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants
(Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy);
Expiration information: This program is currently funded through
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding and not through
annual appropriations. Without inclusion in future annual
appropriations, the program terminates on December 31, 2011.[B]
Initiative (agency): Title XVII Section 1705 Loan Program (Loan
Programs Office);
Expiration information: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 added Section 1705 to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. There is a
sunset date of September 30, 2011 on this initiative.[B]
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Wind Energy Technology Development Topic Area
(multiple);
Expiration information: Continuation of the Small Business Innovation
Research/Small Business Technology Transfer programs is contingent
upon their reauthorization.
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Technologies Related to Energy Storage for
Hybrid Plug-in Electric Vehicles Topic Area (multiple).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Technologies for Clean Fuels and Hydrogen from
Coal (multiple).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Production of Biofuels from Cellulosic Biomass
Topic Area (multiple).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Novel Membrane and Electrode Development for
Advanced Electrochemical Energy Storage Topic Area (multiple).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Geothermal Energy Technology Development Topic
Area (multiple).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Catalysis Topic Area (multiple).
Initiative (agency): Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business
Technology Transfer - Advanced Solar Technology Topic Area (multiple).
Department of Housing and Urban Development:
Initiative (agency): Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 (Office of
Community and Planning Development);
Expiration information: This was an American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 program and all grant funds were obligated as of February
11, 2010. Grantees must complete expenditure of these funds by
February 2013.
Initiative (agency): Mark to Market Green Initiative (Office of
Housing);
Expiration information: Statutory authority for this program ended at
the end of fiscal year 2011.
Initiative (agency): Green Retrofit Program for Multifamily Housing
(Office of Housing); Expiration information: This was an American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 program and all funding was
obligated as of September 30, 2010.
Initiative (agency): Capital Fund Recovery Act Competitive Grant
Program (Office of Public and Indian Housing);
Expiration information: These grants were funded on a one-time basis
in 2009 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Department of the Interior:
Initiative (agency): Desalination and Water Purification Research and
Development Program (Bureau of Reclamation);
Expiration information: This initiative ended at the end of fiscal
year 2011.
Initiative (agency): Geothermal Leasing and Operations on Federal
Lands (Bureau of Land Management);
Expiration information: Authorization recently expired for the
Geothermal Steam Act Implementation Fund, which was established by
Section 234 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and has been used to
expedite the development of geothermal steam as part of this
initiative. Existing funding is expected to be depleted in 2012.
Initiative (agency): Renewable Energy Program: Multipurpose Marine
Cadastre (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and
Enforcement);
Expiration information: Authority for this initiative will expire at
the end of fiscal year 2014.
Initiative (agency): External Renewable Energy Training (Indian
Affairs);
Expiration information: These are one-time activities authorized under
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Initiative (agency): Housing Improvement Program: Recovery Act
Renewable Energy Projects (Indian Affairs).
Initiative (agency): Recovery Act Renewable Energy Efforts (Bureau of
Land Management).
Initiative (agency): Hydropower Optimization and Modernization (Bureau
of Reclamation);
Expiration information: This initiative was funded through a one-time
allocation, and will not be continued after funding runs out.
Initiative (agency): WaterSMART Grant Program (formerly known as
Challenge Grants) (Bureau of Reclamation);
Expiration information: The authorizing legislation for this program
includes an appropriations cap of $200 million, to remain available
until expended.
Department of Transportation:
Initiative (agency): Urbanized Area Formula Program (Federal Transit
Administration);
Expiration information: Authorization for these programs is contingent
upon extension of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act of 2005: A Legacy for Users.
Initiative (agency): Transportation for Elderly Person and Persons
with Disabilities (Federal Transit Administration).
Initiative (agency): New Freedom Program (Federal Transit
Administration).
Initiative (agency): Major Capital Investments (New Starts & Small
Starts) (Federal Transit Administration).
Initiative (agency): Job Access and Reverse Commute Program (Federal
Transit Administration).
Initiative (agency): Formula Grants for Other than Urbanized Areas
(Federal Transit Administration).
Initiative (agency): Fixed Guideway Modernization (Federal Transit
Administration).
Initiative (agency): Clean Fuels Grant Program (Federal Transit
Administration).
Initiative (agency): Bus and Bus Facilities (Federal Transit
Administration).
Initiative (agency): NextGen Environmental Research - Aircraft
Technologies, Fuels and Metrics (Federal Aviation Administration);
Expiration information: The most recent extension of authority for the
Federal Aviation Administration's activities extends through January
2012.[B]
Initiative (agency): NextGen - System Development - Environment and
Energy (Federal Aviation Administration).
Initiative (agency): Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative
(Federal Aviation Administration).
Initiative (agency): Advanced Vehicle Technology Grants (Research and
Innovative Technology Administration);
Expiration information: These initiatives were mandated under the
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act of
2005: A Legacy for Users for fiscal years 2006 through 2009, and were
extended through the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act of
2010 for fiscal year 2010 only.
Initiative (agency): Advanced Research Program - Biobased
Transportation Research (Research and Innovative Technology
Administration).
Initiative (agency): Advanced Research Program - Alternative Fuels and
Life Cycle Engineering (Research and Innovative Technology
Administration);
Expiration information: This initiative was mandated under the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005: A
Legacy for Users for fiscal years 2006 through 2009, but was not
extended through the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act of
2010.
Department of the Treasury:
Initiative (agency): Payments for Specific Energy Property in Lieu of
Tax Credits (Office of Domestic Finance)[A];
Expiration information: Applications must be submitted before October
1, 2012, unless the Internal Revenue Code is amended.
Initiative (agency): Credit for Holding Clean Renewable Energy Bonds
(Internal Revenue Service);
Expiration information: The allocation period for Clean Renewable
Energy Bonds expired December 31, 2009.
Initiative (agency): Alcohol and Alcohol Fuel Mixtures Excise and
Income Tax Credits (Internal Revenue Service);
Expiration information: These credits expire on December 31, 2011,
unless the Internal Revenue Code is amended.[B]
Initiative (agency): Alternative Fuel Excise Tax Credit (Internal
Revenue Service).
Initiative (agency): Small Ethanol Producer Credit (Internal Revenue
Service).
Initiative (agency): Ethanol Excise and Income Tax Credits (Internal
Revenue Service).
Initiative (agency): Biodiesel Excise and Income Tax Credits (Internal
Revenue Service).
Initiative (agency): Small Agri-Biodiesel Producer Credit (Internal
Revenue Service).
Initiative (agency): Credit for the Production of Cellulosic Biofuel
(Internal Revenue Service);
Expiration information: This credit expires on December 31, 2012,
unless the Internal Revenue Code is amended.
Initiative (agency): Accelerated Depreciation Recovery Periods for
Specific Energy Property (Internal Revenue Service);
Expiration information: Bonus depreciation was extended through
December 31, 2012, by the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance
Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010.
Initiative (agency): Credit for Residential Energy Efficient Property
(Internal Revenue Service);
Expiration information: Property must be placed in service by December
31, 2016.
Initiative (agency): Energy Production Credit (Internal Revenue
Service);
Expiration information: Projects must be placed in service by either
December 31, 2012, or December 31, 2013, to be eligible.
Initiative (agency): Credit for Clean Fuel Burning Vehicles (Internal
Revenue Service);
Expiration information: Credits for clean-fuel burning hybrid,
advanced lean-burn technology, and alternative fuel vehicles expired
December 31, 2010; credits for plug-in electric vehicles expire
December 31, 2011, unless the Internal Revenue Code is amended;
credits for plug-in electric-drive vehicles expire December 31, 2014,
unless the Internal Revenue Code is amended; and credits for fuel cell
vehicles expire December 31, 2014, unless the Internal Revenue Code is
amended.[B]
Initiative (agency): Credit for Clean-Fuel Burning Vehicle Refueling
Property (Internal Revenue Service);
Expiration information: Unless the Internal Revenue Code is amended,
the credit for qualified refueling property expires December 31, 2011,
except for hydrogen refueling property, which expires December 31,
2014. The higher credit rate and credit cap expired December 31,
2010.[B]
Initiative (agency): Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit
(Internal Revenue Service);
Expiration information: The application period for the first round of
credit certification ended on December 31, 2010. All available amounts
were allocated in 2010. Property certified in the first round must be
placed in service within 3 years of certification (generally in 2014).
If some credits which were allocated are forfeited, it may be possible
to reallocate them through 2013.
Initiative (agency): Energy Investment Credit (Internal Revenue
Service);
Expiration information: Wind projects must be placed in service by
December 31, 2012, in order to claim the credit; other facilities
specified under Internal Revenue Code Section 45 must be placed in
service by December 31, 2013; solar electricity, heat, or light,
geothermal electricity or heat, small wind, and other property
specified under Internal Revenue Code Section 48 must be placed in
service by December 31, 2016.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration:
Initiative (agency): National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Third Party-Financed Renewable Power Generation;
Expiration information: The on-site power generation initiative at the
Kennedy Space Center was a pilot project during the time period when
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration received temporary
enhanced use lease authority, including in-kind consideration. The
agency's authority to enter into enhanced use leases expires on
December 26, 2017; for this initiative to continue, the National
Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 would need to be modified to extend
or remove this sunset provision.
Small Business Administration:
Initiative (agency): Energy Grants for Green Technology;
Expiration information: Authority to make grants under these programs
ends in 2013.
Initiative (agency): Energy Efficiency Grants for Education and
Technology.
Source: GAO analysis of agencies' data.
[A] The Department of the Treasury offers payments for specific energy
property in lieu of either the Energy Production or Energy Investment
tax credits.
[B] Agencies reported information on expiring initiatives as of fall
of 2011 and we did not update this information to reflect whether or
not any of the initiatives expected to expire prior to the issuance of
our final report--such as certain tax expenditures that supported
ethanol or other biofuels--actually did expire.
[End of table]
[End of section]
Appendix V: Comments from the Department of Commerce:
United States Department of Commerce:
Chief Financial Officer:
Assistant Secretary for Administration:
Washington, DC 20230:
January 18, 2012:
Mr. Mark Gaffigan:
Director, Natural Resources and Environment:
U.S. Government Accountability Office:
Washington, DC 20548:
Dear Mr. Gaffigan:
Thank you for providing us with the draft report titled "Renewable
Energy: Federal Agencies Implement Hundreds of Initiatives" (12-259SP
& 12-260).
In this report, GAO identified agencies' renewable energy-related
initiatives, and examined the federal roles these agencies' initiatives
support. I agree with the overall findings of the report as it relates
to the Department of Commerce.
Our specific technical comments relating to the text of the report
are enclosed; we hope you take these comments into consideration when
issuing the final version of this report.
Sincerely,
Signed by:
Scott B. Quehl:
Enclosure:
[End of section]
Appendix VI: Comments from the Department of Homeland Security:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security:
Washington, DC 20528:
January 19, 2012:
Mr. Frank Rusco:
Director, Natural Resources and Environment:
U.S. Government Accountability Office:
441 G Street, NW:
Washington, DC 20548:
Re: Draft Public Report GAO-12-260, "Renewable Energy: Federal
Agencies Implement Hundreds of Initiatives"
Dear Mr. Rusco:
Thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this draft
report. The U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appreciates the
U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO's) work in planning and
conducting its review and issuing this report.
The Department is strongly committed to maximizing the effectiveness
and efficiency of every taxpayer dollar we receive. A key component of
this exceptional commitment to fiscal discipline is the DHS Efficiency
Review (ER), which includes many initiatives designed to achieve
energy efficiencies.
In March 2009, Secretary Napolitano launched the Department-wide ER,
which has changed the way DHS does business by streamlining operations
and fostering a culture of greater transparency, accountability, and
fiscal discipline. To date, DHS ER has kicked off 36 initiatives
designed to reduce costs, improve communication, and streamline
processes.
DHS ER has implemented several initiatives designed to achieve energy
efficiencies. For example, two such initiatives, optimized fleet
management and increased the number of alternative fuel and hybrid
vehicles in the DHS fleet. Combined with Component-specific efforts to
optimize fleet management, DHS had identified more than $62 million in
cost avoidances.
In addition, DHS ER has implemented four facilities-related
initiatives, ranging from establishing a Center of Excellence for
administering alternatively financed energy savings contracts to
implementing energy efficiencies in facilities projects and
establishing a Center of Excellence for integrated facility
assessments. Through Component-specific improvements to energy
management in facilities, DHS has identified more than $3.9 million in
cost avoidances.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this
draft report. We note the report does not contain any recommendations
for DHS. We look forward to working with you on future Homeland
Security issues.
Sincerely,
Signed by:
Jim H. Crumpacker:
Director:
Departmental GAO-OIG Liaison Office:
[End of section]
Appendix VII: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments:
GAO Contact:
Frank Rusco, (202) 512-3841 or ruscof@gao.gov.
Staff Acknowledgments:
In addition to the contact named above, Keya Chateauneuf, Michele
Fejfar, Mark Gaffigan, Bridget Grimes, Daniel Haas, Miles Ingram,
Christopher Murray, Alison O'Neill, Amy Spiehler, Anne O. Stevens, and
Barbara Timmerman made key contributions to this report.
[End of section]
Footnotes:
[1] We defined renewable energy as energy derived from any of the
following sources: bioenergy, such as liquid biofuel and solid biomass
fuel; geothermal; hydropower; solar; wind; ocean energy, including
wave, tidal, current, and ocean thermal energy; and waste conversion,
including anaerobic digestion, landfill gas, and municipal solid waste.
[2] DOE, Energy Information Administration, Renewable Energy
Consumption and Electricity Preliminary Statistics 2010 (Washington,
D.C.: 2011).
[3] Throughout this report we refer to federal departments and
independent agencies, as well as some components of these departments
and agencies, collectively as "agencies."
[4] Since DOE was established in 1977, one of its missions has been to
promote the nation's energy security through research, development,
and demonstration of advanced technologies for meeting future energy
demands and diversifying the nation's energy portfolio. As part of
this mission, EERE conducts research, development, and demonstration
activities in partnership with industry to advance a diverse supply of
what it refers to as "clean energy" technologies, including renewable
energy.
[5] Office of Management and Budget guidance provided that agencies
that received Recovery Act funding were responsible for developing
program-specific plans to outline how they would implement the
provisions of the act, including timeframes for obligating the funds
provided. In September 2011, the Office of Management and Budget
directed federal agencies to accelerate spending of remaining Recovery
Act funds in all discretionary grant programs, and directed them to
reclaim funds that have not been spent by September 30, 2013, to the
extent permitted by law.
[6] A tax expenditure is a revenue loss attributable to a provision of
the federal tax laws that (1) allows a special exclusion, exemption,
or deduction from gross income or (2) provides a special credit,
preferential tax rate, or deferral of tax liability. Tax expenditures
are subsidies provided through the tax system. Rather than
transferring funds from the government to the private sector, the U.S.
government forgoes some of the tax revenues that it would have
collected and the taxpayers that take advantage of the provisions of
the tax code pay lower taxes than they would otherwise have had to
pay. See also GAO, Government Performance and Accountability: Tax
Expenditures Represent a Substantial Federal Commitment and Need to Be
Reexamined, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-690]
(Washington, D.C.: Sept. 23, 2005), and Understanding the Tax Reform
Debate: Background, Criteria, & Questions, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-1009SP] (Washington, D.C.:
September 2005).
[7] While sufficiently reliable as a gauge of general magnitude, the
sum of individual tax expenditure estimates does not take into account
interactions between individual provisions.
[8] We have reported on agencies' responses to these directives on
several occasions. See GAO, Federal Energy Management: Agencies Are
Taking Steps to Meet High-Performance Federal Building Requirements,
but Face Challenges, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-22] (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 30,
2009); Status of GSA's Implementation of Selected Green Building
Provisions of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-111R] (Washington,
D.C.: Oct. 31, 2008); Federal Energy Management: Agencies Are
Acquiring Alternative Fuel Vehicles but Face Challenges in Meeting
Other Fleet Objectives, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-75R] (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 22,
2008); and Federal Energy Management: Addressing Challenges through
Better Plans and Clarifying the Greenhouse Gas Emission Measure Will
Help Meet Long-term Goals for Buildings, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-977] (Washington, D.C.: Sept. 30,
2008).
[9] In particular, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-259SP] provides information on each
initiative, including what it is, how it works, and how it relates to
renewable energy.
[10] Renewable energy activities may be part of broader initiatives
which are not primarily focused on renewable energy. In these
instances, renewable energy projects can be one of many eligible types
of activities that receive support under an initiative. For example,
initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability, energy efficiency, fuel
economy, and other "green" measures may include a renewable energy
component.
[11] Where we identified individual renewable energy-related projects,
such as a specific facility energy effort or grant award, we did not
consider the projects to be initiatives themselves; rather, we
identified the broader program or area of effort to which they
belonged as an initiative. Therefore, the data that we developed do
not necessarily represent initiatives that are of similar size in
terms of agency financial commitments, number of projects involved, or
other quantitative measures. Also, our data do not always match
agencies' reported information on these activities, such as
information contained in agency budget or strategic planning
documents. Similarly, the list of tax expenditures included in this
report was developed based on information provided by IRS officials to
represent provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that provide support
for renewable energy. The list was developed specifically to represent
the criteria for collecting data on distinct renewable energy
initiatives for this report. As a result, the count does not
necessarily track Treasury's published tax expenditure list which, for
example, may encompass multiple provisions in a tax expenditure listed.
[12] The 24 federal agencies subject to the CFO Act accounted for
roughly 98 percent of federal outlays in 2009.
[13] FERC is an independent agency that, while not a CFO Act agency,
is listed under DOE in the federal budget.
[14] We included technology demonstration activities as part of
research and development rather than as part of commercialization and
deployment. In addition, we included equipment, such as tactical
military equipment, that is procured and deployed by agencies and that
incorporates renewable energy technologies as part of the fleets and
facilities federal role.
[15] Liquid biofuels, such as ethanol or biodiesel, are fuels or
components of fuels produced from feedstocks, including corn, sugar
cane, algae, and a range of plant oils and animal fats, among others.
Liquid biofuels are primarily used for transportation. We refer to
biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, as renewable energy sources
in this report, although they are commonly referred to as alternative
fuels. Solid biomass fuels are fuels derived from organic matter, such
as wood and forest residues that can be burned to produce heat energy.
Other types of bioenergy include biogas, such as methane. However, for
purposes of our analysis we categorized gases produced from landfill
gas capture or anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste as waste
conversion rather than bioenergy.
[16] GAO reports on federal agencies' methods of financing energy
projects include GAO, Energy Savings: Performance Contracts Offer
Benefits, but Vigilance Is Needed to Protect Government Interests,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-340] (Washington, D.C.:
June 22, 2005), and Capital Financing: Partnerships and Energy Savings
Performance Contracts Raise Budgeting and Monitoring Concerns,
[hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-55] (Washington, D.C.:
Dec. 16, 2004).
[17] DOE, Energy Information Administration, Direct Federal Financial
Interventions and Subsidies in Energy in Fiscal Year 2010 (Washington,
D.C.: 2011).
[18] Treasury's Payments for Specific Energy Property in Lieu of Tax
Credits, established under Section 1603 of the Recovery Act, provided
cash grants to eligible applicants who place specified energy property
in service for use in a trade or business. Congressional Research
Service, Energy Tax Incentives: Measuring Value Across Different Types
of Energy Resources (Washington, D.C.: 2011).
[19] Environmental Law Institute, Estimating U.S. Government Subsidies
to Energy Sources: 2002-2008 (Washington, D.C.: 2009).
[20] The federal agencies within the scope of this report are
organized along a range of different structures that include formal
subagencies, bureaus, services, divisions, and offices, among other
types of structures. For ease of reporting, we generally refer to all
of these organizational elements as subagencies.
[21] One Office of the Chief Economist initiative is implemented
jointly with USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which
is part of the mission area of the Under Secretary for Research,
Education, and Economics; therefore, the number of initiatives listed
for USDA sums to 106.
[22] We generally grouped DOE's Power Marketing Administrations
together for purposes of our analysis; however, they include the
Bonneville Power Administration, the Southeastern Power
Administration, the Southwestern Power Administration, and the Western
Area Power Administration.
[23] One initiative was jointly implemented by subagencies under three
Assistant Secretaries; therefore the number of initiatives listed for
Interior sums to 84.
[24] We did not analyze the impact of initiatives on the renewable
energy sector for this report.
[25] Recent estimates have indicated that the estimated forgone
revenues associated with tax expenditures administered by IRS
represented more than $8 billion in fiscal year 2010 in federal
financial support for renewable energy. See, for example, DOE, Energy
Information Administration, Direct Federal Financial Interventions and
Subsidies in Energy in Fiscal Year 2010 (Washington, D.C.: 2011), and
Congressional Research Service, Energy Tax Incentives: Measuring Value
Across Different Types of Energy Resources (Washington, D.C.: 2011).
[26] Under the act, the Renewable Fuel Standard applies to
transportation fuel sold or introduced into commerce in the 48
contiguous states. However, the Administrator of the EPA is
authorized, upon a petition from Alaska or Hawaii, to allow the
Renewable Fuel Standard to apply in that state. On June 22, 2007,
Hawaii petitioned EPA to opt into the Renewable Fuel Standard, and the
Administrator approved that request. For the purposes of this report,
statements that the Renewable Fuel Standard applies to U.S.
transportation fuel refer to the 48 contiguous states and Hawaii. For
more information on biofuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard, see GAO,
Biofuels: Challenges to the Transportation, Sale, and Use of
Intermediate Ethanol Blends, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-513] (Washington, D.C.: June 3,
2011), and Biofuels: Potential Effects and Challenges of Required
Increases in Production and Use, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-446] (Washington, D.C.: Aug. 25,
2009).
[27] See appendix II for more information on the renewable energy
sources supported by agencies' initiatives.
[28] The number of initiatives agencies implemented that support each
energy source does not provide the only measure of agencies' support
for these sources. For example, DOE is not included among the agencies
with the largest number of initiatives supporting bioenergy, solar, or
wind energy. Rather, DOE's initiatives supported a wide range of
renewable energy sources, and the number of its initiatives that
supported bioenergy, solar, or wind energy did not exceed those of
other agencies.
[29] Solar photovoltaic technologies convert energy from sunlight
directly into electricity, using arrays of solar panels. Concentrating
solar power technologies use mirrors to focus the sun's light energy
and convert it into heat to create electrical power. In solar hot
water technology, a collector absorbs and transfers heat from the sun
to water, which is stored in a tank until needed.
[30] Of the 11 agencies that participate in the Small Business
Innovation Research program, 2 (the departments of Education and
Health and Human Services) were not included within the scope of our
review. In addition, not all of the agencies included in our review
funded renewable energy research as part of their implementation of
the program. For more information on the Small Business Innovation
Research program, see GAO, Small Business Innovation Research: SBA
Should Work with Agencies to Improve the Data Available for Program
Evaluation, [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-698]
(Washington, D.C.: Aug. 15, 2011).
[31] Ground-source heat pumps, also known as geothermal heat pumps,
are devices that take advantage of the relatively constant temperature
immediately beneath the earth's surface to provide heat in the winter
and air conditioning in the summer. During the winter, a heat pump
transfers the heat of the ground to a fluid-filled set of coils and
then pumps this fluid into the building. During the summer, heat pumps
work in reverse, extracting heat from the building and transferring it
to the ground.
[32] These tax expenditures include credits for taxpayers holding
Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, New Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, and
Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds. While there are differences
between these credits in the amount of the credit available to
taxpayers and how authority to issue the bonds was allocated, among
other differences, generally for these bonds, taxpayers may receive an
income tax credit in lieu of interest payments from the issuers of the
bonds. Issuing these bonds helps tax-exempt entities finance projects
that produce electricity from renewable energy sources because, since
bondholders receive credits from the federal government, bond issuers
can borrow while paying little or no interest on their debt. For the
New Clean Renewable Energy Bonds and Qualified Energy Conservation
Bonds, bond issuers also have the option to receive a direct payment
equivalent to and in lieu of the amount of the tax credit that would
otherwise go to the bondholder. In cases where bond issuers elect to
receive a direct payment, this option helps tax-exempt entities
finance projects that produce electricity from renewable energy
sources because it provides an incentive for investors to purchase the
bonds, since the investors' returns would not depend upon having
sufficient taxable income to utilize a tax credit.
[33] See appendix III for additional information on the extent to
which the Recovery Act established, expanded, or modified initiatives.
[34] See appendix IV for additional information on expiring
initiatives.
[35] Research and development includes research efforts that further
the knowledge of or the ability to create, develop, or improve
renewable energy technologies, as well as, for purposes of our
analysis, technology demonstration. Fleets and facilities include
efforts to incorporate renewable energy into an agency's property,
buildings, vehicles, and other equipment. Commercialization and
deployment includes activities that provide incentives for the
implementation or promote the competitiveness of renewable energy
technologies in the commercial market place. Regulation, permitting,
and compliance include activities that ensure compliance with federal
laws and regulations regarding renewable energy production, use,
technologies, or facilities.
[36] See appendix II for more detail on agencies with initiatives we
placed in the "other" category. Our inclusion of initiatives in the
"other" category does not imply that these initiatives were any less
important than those in the four key federal roles included in our
analysis. Initiatives in the "other" category may provide important
support for renewable energy in a variety of ways, such as helping to
promote the use of renewable energy technologies globally. We included
initiatives in the "other" category only to distinguish between those
initiatives that we grouped within the four key federal roles we
analyzed and those that we did not include within one of the four
federal roles.
[37] For more information on ARPA-E's research activities see GAO,
Department of Energy: Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Could
Benefit from Information on Applicants' Prior Funding, [hyperlink,
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-112] (Washington, D.C.: Jan. 13,
2012).
[38] Regional systems of bioenergy production include, among other
elements, (1) deployment of regionally-appropriate dedicated energy
crops; (2) implementation of regional feedstock production and
logistics networks; (3) development of bioenergy conversion
technologies that can accept a range of feedstocks; (4) regional
marketing and distribution systems; and (5) regional sustainability
analyses, data collection and management, and decision-making tools.
[39] With 10 fleets and facilities initiatives, the percentage of
DOE's initiatives in this federal role, relative to DOE's other
initiatives, was 11 percent. As a result, we did not highlight a fleet
and facilities federal role for DOE in table 5, which represents
agencies where 25 percent or more of their initiatives were in a
particular federal role. However, we included DOE here as having a key
role in fleet and facilities activities governmentwide because of its
efforts under FEMP, through which DOE assists all agencies to include
renewable energy in their fleets and facilities.
[40] This tax expenditure is known as the Volumetric Ethanol Excise
Tax Credit. Other tax expenditures administered by IRS provide similar
excise tax credits for renewable alternative fuels sold or blended,
including for alternative fuels other than ethanol, methanol, and
biodiesel (50 cents per gallon), alcohol and alcohol fuel mixtures (60
cents per gallon), and biodiesel ($1.00 per gallon). IRS also
administers other tax expenditures that support the production of
renewable alternative fuels by providing an additional 10 cent per
gallon income tax credit on the first 15 million gallons of ethanol
produced each year by both small ethanol and certain small biodiesel
producers, and a $1.01 per gallon income tax credit for the production
of cellulosic biofuels.
[41] FERC has an important role in regulating the sale and
transmission of energy in general; however, FERC indicated that in
large measure this role did not include a specific focus on renewable
energy. FERC does have responsibility for licensing nonfederal
hydropower facilities and has taken steps to ensure that renewable
energy has equal access in the energy market. Since FERC did not
identify itself as having a significant regulatory role with regard to
renewable energy specifically, we did not identify it as a key agency
for this federal role.
[42] On October 1, 2011, BOEMRE reorganized into two independent
entities: the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of
Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management is responsible for managing development of the nation's off-
shore resources in an environmentally and economically responsible
way, and its activities include oversight of leasing, environmental
studies, and economic analysis. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement is responsible for enforcing safety and environmental
regulations. However, given the timeframe of our work, we refer to
BOEMRE in this report.
[43] We refer to federal departments and independent agencies, as well
as some subcomponents of these departments and agencies collectively
as "agencies."
[44] Pub. L. No. 101-576, 104 Stat. 2838 (1990). Some federal agencies
not subject to the CFO Act may also implement renewable energy-related
activities. For example, one function of the Tennessee Valley
Authority is to market hydropower. Alternatively, the Export-Import
Bank of the United States provides loans and other types of financing
arrangements to help international buyers purchase U.S. goods and
services, such as renewable energy equipment. We generally excluded
the efforts of these and other agencies not subject to the CFO Act
from the scope of our review.
[45] The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is an independent agency
that, while not a CFO Act agency, is listed under DOE in the federal
budget.
[46] The CFO Act included the Federal Emergency Management Agency as
one the 24 agencies subject to its provisions. However, in fiscal year
2005, the Department of Homeland Security became subject to the
provisions of the CFO Act and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
became part of the department.
[47] Given the large number of Department of State (State) embassies
and consulates overseas, the initiatives for which we obtained
information from State represent only a portion of State's renewable
energy efforts. However, State indicated that they are representative
of the types of renewable energy initiatives that are underway at its
missions around the world.
[48] Given the large number of U.S. Agency for International
Development field offices overseas, the initiatives for which we
obtained information from the agency represent only a portion of its
renewable energy efforts. However, the U.S. Agency for International
Development indicated that they are representative of the types of
renewable energy initiatives that are underway at its missions around
the world.
[49] We did not include hydrogen as a renewable energy source,
although we did consider efforts to produce hydrogen using renewable
energy to be a renewable energy-related activity. Also, we did not
consider technologies, such as fuel cells, to be a renewable energy
source, although we did consider the use of renewable fuels as the
power source for fuel cells to be a renewable energy-related activity.
[50] Renewable energy activities may be part of broader initiatives
the primary focus of which is not renewable energy. In these
instances, renewable energy projects can be one of many eligible types
of activities that receive support under an initiative. For example,
initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability, energy efficiency, fuel
economy, and other "green" measures may include a renewable energy
component.
[51] In addition, our data do not always match agencies' reported
information on these activities, such as information contained in
agency budget or strategic planning documents. Similarly, the list of
tax expenditures included in this report was developed based on
information provided by IRS officials to represent provisions of the
Internal Revenue Code that provide support for renewable energy. The
list was developed specifically to represent the criteria for
collecting data on distinct renewable energy initiatives for this
report. As a result, the count does not necessarily track Treasury's
published tax expenditure list which, for example, may encompass
multiple provisions in a tax expenditure listed.
[52] We examined fiscal year 2011 budget documents to help identify
fiscal year 2010 activities because these documents provided
information on how fiscal year 2010 funding was used.
[53] We generally classified the direct recipient of an initiative
based on the initiative's function (i.e., who received the funding to
conduct research, install a renewable energy project at an agency
facility, or deploy a renewable energy technology; or, who was
regulated by the initiative). For example, in many instances, federal
agencies work through the General Services Administration or DOD's
Defense Logistics Agency in implementing their fleets and facilities
efforts. For purposes of our review, we did not consider these federal
agencies to be recipients, but rather "pass-through" entities. We
considered the recipients of agencies' fleets and facilities efforts
to be the vehicle and equipment manufacturers, fuel suppliers, and
contractors that the General Services Administration and Defense
Logistics Agency use to serve their federal agency customers.
[54] See appendix I for more information on our methodology and how we
defined the key federal roles and "other."
[55] In commenting on a draft of this report, NSF indicated that its
research activities are integrated with education in order to enhance
the development of a world-class scientific and engineering workforce.
[56] Some initiatives were affected by the Recovery Act in multiple
ways.
[57] The Department of the Treasury offered payments for specific
energy property in lieu of the Energy Production and Energy Investment
tax credits.
[End of section]
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